Fed: Former UN official to give evidence to AWB inquiry

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2006
Fed: Former UN official to give evidence to AWB inquiry

A former United Nations official has been asked to tell the Cole inquiry what she knew
about AWB's illicit payments to Iraq.

Senior counsel assisting the inquiry JOHN AGIUS .. says former UN Customs chief FELICITY
JOHNSTON has been asked to provide a sworn statement to commissioner TERENCE COLE.

The request comes after Ms JOHNSTON broke her silence on the AWB kickbacks scandal
.. on the ABC's Four Corners program to be aired tonight.

Ms JOHNSTON's told the program .. the Australian government failed six years ago to
act on key warnings about AWB paying kickbacks to SADDAM HUSSEIN's regime.





Ms JOHNSTON says she passed on complaints by a third party country .. now known to
be Canada .. to Department of Foreign Affairs officials in early 2000.

Canada had complained to the UN that AWB was making illicit payments to Iraq in the
form of trucking fees.

DFAT officials have told the inquiry .. Ms JOHNSTON never mentioned trucking fees when
she raised the concerns about AWB.

AAP RTV bt/smb/jmt

KEYWORD: AWB JOHNSTON (SYDNEY)

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