Asian businessman convicted in oil-for-food probe

14/07/2006 - 07:25:31
A South Korean businessman has been convicted of conspiracy for accepting at least £1.1m (€1.6m) to act secretly as an agent of Iraq to influence the United Nations’ oil-for-food programme.

The jury verdict against Tongsun Park (aged 71) was a milestone for prosecutors in their attempt to bring to justice some of those responsible for turning a humanitarian effort into a corrupt venture for bureaucrats, oil tycoons and Saddam Hussein.

With less than a day of deliberations, the jury in US District Court in Manhattan rejected Park’s arguments that he was a mere middleman acting largely on behalf of the United Nations to bring relief to Iraqis suffering under Saddam.