Australian PM to appear before royal inquiry

(2006-04-12 14:37:48)

    CANBERRA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday he is happy to appear before an inquiry into Australia's wheat exporter AWB's role in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal after being called to appear on Thursday. 

    Howard on Tuesday handed a written statement to the inquiry, headed by Commissioner Terence Cole, Australia's former Supreme Court judge. Full Story>>

Australian FM denies knowledge of scandal

(2006-04-12 09:22:49)

    BEIJING, April 12 -- Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer denied yesterday seeing a string of diplomatic cables warning the Australian Government that the country's monopoly wheat exporter was paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein.

    Downer was the second minister to appear at the inquiry into allegations the Australian Wheat Board, now known as AWB Ltd., paid US$220 million to Saddam's government to secure grain contracts worth more than US$2.3 billion between 1997 and 2003 under the U.N.'s oil-for-food program. Full Story>>