Violet Fashion by Mindy
01-25-2006, 06:11 PM
Bribes plotted before float
From: http://network.news.com.au/images/h14_theaustralian.gif (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/?from=ni_story)
By Caroline Overington
January 26, 2006
THE Australian Wheat Board concocted its plan to pay millions of dollars in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's corrupt regime while it was still controlled by the Howard Government.
The Cole corruption inquiry heard yesterday that the "culture" within the wheat board resulted in an agreement to pay kickbacks - and debate among employees about how to hide them from the UN - in June 1999. Counsel assisting the inquiry John Agius QC said a series of internal emails from within the board suggested "a culture ... of getting the job done, no matter what the cost in terms of breaching the UN sanctions".
The emails were exchanged while the wheat board was a statutory authority, controlled by the Government. It was privatised the month after the emails, becoming AWB as it listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Rudd said yesterday that in light of the new evidence, the Cole inquiry's terms of reference should be expanded to incorporate the role of the Howard Government.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer was in his role at the time of the AWB privatisation.
Mark Vaile, now Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister, replaced Tim Fischer as trade minister in July 1999. "Planning appears to have commenced for corrupt practices when AWB was a statutory authority, when it was still in the direct hands of the Howard Government," Mr Rudd said.
"This takes the matter to a new plane altogether and the role of the Government must be examined. Commissioner Cole should be allowed to make findings in relation to government, as well as employees of AWB."
Under the terms of reference set by the Government, the Cole inquiry is confined to examining the role of AWB and two other Australian companies in the payment of kickbacks to Saddam's regime under the oil-for-food program.
AWB is accused of inflating the price of wheat to cover payments to the Iraqi Government.
Mr Agius tendered to the inquiry an email dated June 19, 1999, that showed an agreement to add an illegal "trucking fee" worth $US12 a tonne to Australia's wheat contracts.
Another email, dated June 14, 1999, had employees discussing ways to make the payment without UN approval.
The Howard Government has previously insisted that AWB's problems were its own, because it was a publicly listed company, with no links to the Government.
Mr Agius told the inquiry yesterday that the evidence "implies without doubt, that this payment was, in effect, a payment to the Iraqis" and would have been "a clear breach of the UN sanctions".
Another email, also dated June 1999, debated ways to pay the $US12 a tonne "transport fee", saying it could be added to the price "so no skin off our nose" but noting that AWB needed "to find a way to implement the payments".
Trade Minister Mark Vaile refused to comment on the revelation.
His spokesman said: "The minister will not be giving a running commentary on evidence presented to the Cole inquiry. He willwait until the inquiry is complete."
Mr Downer is on leave and could not be contacted.
Mr Rudd accused Mr Downer of hiding from the scandal engulfing AWB. "My challenge to Mr Downer is: Alex, Alex come out, come out from wherever you are. The Australian people would liketo listen to what you've got to say."
Commissioner Terence Cole scolded AWB yesterday for obstructing the inquiry by providing witness statements that were of no practical use.
He said the company had made the process of investigating the kickbacks unnecessarily "long and tedious and expensive".
AWB lawyer James Judd QC rejected Mr Cole's suggestion and said that AWB had been hampered by the failure of commission investigators to tell witnesses which documents they would be questioned on.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17943870-421,00.html
From: http://network.news.com.au/images/h14_theaustralian.gif (http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/?from=ni_story)
By Caroline Overington
January 26, 2006
THE Australian Wheat Board concocted its plan to pay millions of dollars in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's corrupt regime while it was still controlled by the Howard Government.
The Cole corruption inquiry heard yesterday that the "culture" within the wheat board resulted in an agreement to pay kickbacks - and debate among employees about how to hide them from the UN - in June 1999. Counsel assisting the inquiry John Agius QC said a series of internal emails from within the board suggested "a culture ... of getting the job done, no matter what the cost in terms of breaching the UN sanctions".
The emails were exchanged while the wheat board was a statutory authority, controlled by the Government. It was privatised the month after the emails, becoming AWB as it listed on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Rudd said yesterday that in light of the new evidence, the Cole inquiry's terms of reference should be expanded to incorporate the role of the Howard Government.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer was in his role at the time of the AWB privatisation.
Mark Vaile, now Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister, replaced Tim Fischer as trade minister in July 1999. "Planning appears to have commenced for corrupt practices when AWB was a statutory authority, when it was still in the direct hands of the Howard Government," Mr Rudd said.
"This takes the matter to a new plane altogether and the role of the Government must be examined. Commissioner Cole should be allowed to make findings in relation to government, as well as employees of AWB."
Under the terms of reference set by the Government, the Cole inquiry is confined to examining the role of AWB and two other Australian companies in the payment of kickbacks to Saddam's regime under the oil-for-food program.
AWB is accused of inflating the price of wheat to cover payments to the Iraqi Government.
Mr Agius tendered to the inquiry an email dated June 19, 1999, that showed an agreement to add an illegal "trucking fee" worth $US12 a tonne to Australia's wheat contracts.
Another email, dated June 14, 1999, had employees discussing ways to make the payment without UN approval.
The Howard Government has previously insisted that AWB's problems were its own, because it was a publicly listed company, with no links to the Government.
Mr Agius told the inquiry yesterday that the evidence "implies without doubt, that this payment was, in effect, a payment to the Iraqis" and would have been "a clear breach of the UN sanctions".
Another email, also dated June 1999, debated ways to pay the $US12 a tonne "transport fee", saying it could be added to the price "so no skin off our nose" but noting that AWB needed "to find a way to implement the payments".
Trade Minister Mark Vaile refused to comment on the revelation.
His spokesman said: "The minister will not be giving a running commentary on evidence presented to the Cole inquiry. He willwait until the inquiry is complete."
Mr Downer is on leave and could not be contacted.
Mr Rudd accused Mr Downer of hiding from the scandal engulfing AWB. "My challenge to Mr Downer is: Alex, Alex come out, come out from wherever you are. The Australian people would liketo listen to what you've got to say."
Commissioner Terence Cole scolded AWB yesterday for obstructing the inquiry by providing witness statements that were of no practical use.
He said the company had made the process of investigating the kickbacks unnecessarily "long and tedious and expensive".
AWB lawyer James Judd QC rejected Mr Cole's suggestion and said that AWB had been hampered by the failure of commission investigators to tell witnesses which documents they would be questioned on.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17943870-421,00.html