Stewart Stogel
Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2005

In a news conference, Volcker issued another "interim report" on the activates of Sevan, who ran the $67 billion aid program from 1997-2003.

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Volcker came to the conclusion that Sevan did indeed accept what amounted to several hundred thousand dollars in bribes funneled to him through various overseas channels.

The most disturbing came through an aunt living in Cyprus who died in a mysterious apartment elevator accident after surviving an earlier car crash.

In an earlier press release, Sevan again denied any wrong doing and accused U.N. chief Kofi Annan of making him a "sacrificial lamb."

Before leaving for his home on Cyprus, Sevan spoke to NewsMax and revealed some of what he may now go public with.

Sevan insists that between 1997-2000 he personally informed the U.N. Security Council, to whom he reported, of "suspicious" activity on the administration of several Oil-for-Food contracts.

"They ignored me, they did nothing," insisted Sevan.

This was repeated several times, the embattled former U.N. official said.

At the time in question, the U.S.-U.N. delegation was headed by Richard Holbrooke, Madeleine Albright was secretary of state.

"Of course they knew (of the improprieties). Why did they not act? Ask them," Sevan said.

Neither Holbrooke nor Albright was available for comment.

In addition to Holbrooke, Russia was represented by Sergey Lavrov, now foreign minister.

Lavrov, like Albright and Holbrooke, did nothing, says Sevan.

Lavrov also could not be reached for comment.

The only indirect admission that the so-called U.N. "Permanent 5" could have done more came from China's U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, who admitted to NewsMax, "mistakes were made and we have confidence the secretary-general will address them."

In addition to pointing fingers at the Security Council, Sevan also pointed fingers at the now defunct Iraq Coalition Provisional Administration (CPA), headed by Paul Bremer.

Almost all of the U.N.-Iraq aid program's activities were taken over by the CPA in mid-2003.

According to U.N. investigator Volcker, almost an additional $6 billion in Iraqi money cannot be accounted for.

Furthermore, Volcker complained that U.S. and UK officials in the CPA stonewalled his investigators and also believed that key documents involving the Iraqi aid were either destroyed or moved to undisclosed locations out of the reach of his investigators.

Bremer was also not available for comment.

Kofi Annan, who loudly boasted in April that Volcker "had exonerated" him is not yet out of the woods.

Still troubling to the investigatory panel is Annan's son's relationship with a U.N. contractor, Cotecna Inspection Services.

Annan has publicly distanced himself from his son and his business relationships.

Yet, NewsMax has learned of several instances when Kojo Annan used his father's official U.N. residence for"private" parties.

U.N. security officials complain that in all of the alleged instances, the younger Annan, in a blatant violation of U.N. operating guidelines refused to disclose the identities of his "guests."

"They could have been terrorists for all we know," said one U.N. security veteran.

Annan's office denied the allegations; U.N. security officials stood by their accounts.

Kojo Annan was not available for comment.

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