South African oil company Imvume Management has taken steps to institute legal proceedings against the committee appointed by the United Nations to investigate irregularities in Iraq’s oil-for-food (OFF) programme relating to accusations of kickbacks against Imvume and sister company Montego.
”Steps have already been taken to institute legal proceedings in New York against the IIC [independent inquiry committee] and an action claiming damages will be issued shortly,” a company statement said.
Imvume and Montego, owned by South African businessman Sandi Majali, are accused of paying kickbacks, called a ”surcharge,” to secure a contract for two million barrels of oil from Iraq.
A statement attributed to Majali and Imvume Management said that Majali and Imvume had met two senior investigators from the IIC on June 30 2005 for a five-hour interview.
”Majali specifically denied having paid any kickbacks to the Iraqi authorities at all. The investigators did not contest this,” the statement said.
The investigators refused to provide him or the company with any of the documents presented at the interview, but gave a firm and formal undertaking of confidentiality.
Shortly after the interview, the investigators gave journalists from the Mail & Guardian documents that had been withheld from Imvume and Majali and disclosed to the weekly newspaper much of what had been discussed at the interview, contrary to the undertaking of confidentiality, the statement continued.
”In mid-October 2005, the IIC provided Majali and Imvume with a summary of the report, which the IIC intended publishing. This summary included (for the first time) the allegation that the sum of $60 000 had been paid by (or on behalf of) Imvume to the Iraqi authorities as an illegal kickback in the OFF programme.
”Majali and Imvume responded to the IIC, denying that they had paid, caused or facilitated any such kickback, pointing out that this was the first time that this allegation had ever been raised by the IIC.
”Majali and Imvume demanded that the IIC provide proof of such allegations, which was never forthcoming. Majali and Imvume also demanded that the IIC refrain from publishing any such allegation in the final report in the absence of the production of proof.
”Despite this, the IIC proceeded to publish the allegation regarding the illegal $60 000 kickback, in the absence of any evidence that such payment was made by or at the instance of Imvume or Majali.”
The statement said the report had raised a ”media and political furore” in South Africa.
”The allegations regarding the alleged kickback are untrue, reckless, irresponsible and highly damaging and defamatory.”
The statement concluded: ”Majali and Imvume reiterate that they had conducted legitimate, above-board business with the Iraqi authorities in terms of the OFF programme, subject to and with the approval of the United Nations authorities and strictly in accordance with the regulations of the OFF programme.
”They specifically deny having paid any surcharges, illegal kickbacks or any other unlawful payments in respect of the OFF programme.”
Majali was recently embroiled in reports that he diverted state funds meant to pay a supplier to the African National Congress. — Sapa