Benon Sevan

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Benon V. Sevan (born in Nicosia, Cyprus on December 18, 1937 and educated at the prestigious Melkonian Educational Institute) was the head of the United Nations's Oil for Food program, charged with preventing Iraq's government from using the proceeds from oil exports for anything but food, medicine and other items to benefit the civilian population. Nonetheless, Sevan reportedly accepted bribes from Saddam Hussein in the form of oil vouchers, and allowed Saddam to garner $11 billion for military and other uses which violated the UN sanctions against his regime, even as Sevan tried to persuade the United Nations Security Council to make concessions to the Iraqi regime.

On 7 February 2005, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, also implicated in the oil-for-food scandal, suspended Sevan and another UN official with pay ($1 per year, plus benefits including diplomatic immunity from prosecution) because of their roles in the fraud. On 8 August 2005, a UN-appointed panel, led by Paul Volcker, published a report on its investigation into the scandal. In the report the panel concluded that Sevan had accepted bribes from the former Iraqi regime and recommended that his UN immunity be lifted, to allow for a criminal investigation [1]. Sevan had resigned from the UN on 7 August 2005, just one day before the report was due to be published.

Oct 2005: He has fled the US and lives in Cyprus. There is no treaty betweeh the US and Cyprus that enables a trial for Benon.

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