Ex-French UN ambassador detained for oil-for-food violations News
Ex-French UN ambassador detained for oil-for-food violations

[JURIST] Former French UN ambassador Jean-Bernard Merimee is expected to appear before a French judge Wednesday after having been detained by authorities investigating allegations of fraud and corruption in the UN Oil-for-Food program [official website; JURIST news archive]. Merimee was France's representative to the UN from 1991-95 and worked as a special adviser to UN Kofi Annan from 1999-2002. He is suspected of having received huge oil allocations from the regime of Saddam Hussein that could be sold to commercial dealers for profit. Merimee's name was on a list of politicians and businessmen alleged to have received oil vouchers that was published in January 2004 by Iraqi newspaper Al-Mada [MEMRI analysis]. The French mission to the UN [official website] has promised to cooperate with the investigation. AP has more.