Anti-war MP denies being paid by Saddam
British anti-war campaigner and Labour MP George Galloway has strenuously denied a newspaper report that he received money from Saddam Hussein's regime.
The Daily Telegraph alleges a confidential memorandum sent to Saddam by his head of intelligence shows Mr Galloway had asked a secret agent for a greater cut of Iraq's exports under the oil-for-food programme.
According to the newspaper, the spy chief wrote a letter to Saddam in January 2000 which revealed that the MP for Glasgow Kelvin took a slice of oil earnings worth £375,000 (€539,000) a year.
The newspaper claims the left-wing MP, who fiercely opposed the US-led military action, entered into partnership with a named Iraqi oil broker to sell oil on the international market.
The Telegraph alleges the papers were found by one of their journalists in the looted foreign ministry in Baghdad.
The documents suggested that while he was campaigning for his anti-war charity, the Mariam Appeal, Mr Galloway was conducting a relationship with Iraqi intelligence behind the scenes.
In a statement, Mr Galloway insisted the documents were either forged or doctored and were designed to discredit him because of his opposition to the war.
"I have never solicited nor received money from Iraq for our campaign against war and sanctions," he said.
