Скачать или смотреть FM sacked over alleged involvement in UN Oil for Food

(7 Nov 2005)

New Delhi, 7 November 2005
1. Wide of dome of President's House
2. Czech President Vaclav Klaus and Indian foreign minister Natwar Singh shaking hands
3. Cutaway photographers
4. Natwar Singh and Klaus exchanging books

FILE - New Delhi, 27 April 2005
5. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Singh shaking hands

FILE - New Delhi, 22 May 2004
6. Singh taking oath at inauguration of new Indian government

STORYLINE:

Indian foreign minister Natwar Singh was stripped of his post on Monday over allegations that he profited from massive corruption in the UN oil-for-food programme.

Just hours earlier, he received Czech President Vaclav Klaus who began a six-day state visit to India.

Singh became the first political casualty of the scandal, after an independent report said that he profited from corruption in the effort to help Iraqis suffering under sanctions.

The accusation that Singh was among the thousands of prominent companies and politicians worldwide to illegally benefit from the program has roiled India for days and led to widespread calls that he step down.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh summoned his foreign minister for an hour-long meeting at his residence and demoted him to minister without portfolio, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Singh had initially rejected calls for his resignation, insisting that he received no favours or bribes from Saddam Hussein's government, or benefited
from the US$64 billion oil-for-food program.

The independent inquiry, headed by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, has accused more than 2,200 companies and prominent politicians worldwide of colluding with Saddam's regime to bilk the oil-for-food program of US$1.8 billion in kickbacks and illicit surcharges.

It named Singh and the ruling Congress party as a "non-contractual beneficiary" in a report released two weeks ago.

Singh's demotion was the first government action taken against an acting official since the independent report was released.

After initially treating the report with skepticism, the Indian government ordered a judicial investigation into the allegations to be led by former
Indian chief justice R.S. Pathak.

Late on Sunday, the government also named an envoy to investigate the credibility of Volcker's report, indicating that it was not entirely
convinced about its veracity.

In the meantime, the prime minister will temporarily hold the foreign minister's portfolio.

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