By RIA Novosti
New York : The trial of a high-profile Texas businessman, charged with paying some $4 million in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein’s regime as part of the oil-for-food programme, has started in Manhattan’s federal court.
Oscar Wyatt, 83, faces over 70 years in prison if found guilty of secretly providing funds and equipment to the Iraqi government in exchange for contracts under the controversial UN oil-for-food programme, which ran 1996 through 2003.
The programme, aimed at helping Iraqis cope with UN sanctions imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, permitted the sale of Iraqi oil in exchange for food on humanitarian goods.
In the early 2000, allegations of corruption in the controversial programme became more frequent, with Iraqi officials demanding surcharges on contracts.
Wyatt was a friend of presidents Kennedy and Johnson and was on friendly terms with Reagan, Nixon and Clinton.