The Iraqi government has served a number of foreign companies with a $10BN civil lawsuit. The companies, including Daimler, Siemens and B. Braun are accused of colluding with Saddam Hussein.
The lawsuit describes the kick backs etc involved in the United Nation's food-for-oil program in Iraq as "the largest financial fraud in human history."
The lawsuit has been filed in the US federal court in New York, and alleges that 2,200 companies from 66 countries paid a total of $1.8BN in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime in exchange for supply deals.
Quote:
"Its impact on the people of Iraq when far beyond financial loss.
The corruption of the OFFP (oil-for-food program) affected the very lives and health of the Iraqi people."
Daimler allegedly sold Mercedes trucks and spare parts to the Iraqi government. The A UN-sponsored report by Paul Volcker claims that an area manager at Daimler agreed in 2001 to pay a 10% kickback on a deal to sell an armoured van to Iraq, at an inflated price.
Daimler maintained at the time that it did not knowingly pay kickbacks.
Siemens has been accused of paying a six-figure sum as a bribe to the regime, to secure energy and medical-equipment contracts.
Chickens are coming home to roost!
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