Volcker Commission Alleges That Half of Companies Involved in Oil-for-Food Program Made Illegal Payments
Richard Goldstone, a member of the Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme (commonly known as the Volcker Commission) told the Associated Press yesterday that about half of the 4,500 companies that took part in the U.N. program paid kickbacks or illegal surcharges to the Government of Iraq. In fact, the Volcker Commission recently sent out letters to a large number of companies advising them that the Commission has information that the companies may have made unauthorized payments and giving them a chance to respond before the Commission issues its final report later this year.