I respect the right of the Wall Street Journal to keep much of their newspaper on a subscription-only basis, but today’s Oil-for-Food tidbit is too good not to quote:
Among all the leads and clues churned up in the wake of Paul Volcker’s second interim report on the United Nations Oil for Food scandal, one strikes us as especially deserving of further scrutiny. It is the news, first reported by the Financial Times, that in 1999 Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s son Kojo invested $235,000 in an ailing Swiss soccer club called Vevey-Sports and was elected the club’s president. Yet, according to the FT, Kojo had little to do with the club’s management and was never once seen at a match.
The Volcker Committee’s recent report does not address Kojo’s investment in Vevey-Sports. But here’s a question it might wish to pursue: Where did the 25-year-old Annan — who comes from a family of moderate means and who, until 1998, was making some $2,500 a month — get that kind of throw-around money?
Good question, isn’t it? Maybe Senators Dodd and Boxer will go onto that one since “reform” of the United Nations seems so high on their agendas.
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20 Comments
1. Thom:It sounds like Kojo was also a named beneficiary in the will of Benon Savan’s surprisingly wealthy deceased aunt.
Apr 14, 2005 - 2:39 pm 2. chuck:OT:
This Talabani article is worth reading, link.
Apr 14, 2005 - 2:53 pm 3. Buddy Larsen:Thom, don’t forget “surprisingly deceased”. It’s at least worthy of a cocked eyebrow, that an elderly women that happens to be a major international corruption scapegoat, is–just as the story is breaking–found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft. What, she didn’t have a horse whose head could be slipped into her bed? Wrt Kofi and Benan’s ‘family values’, I’d advise Kojo to take it on the lam–and quick.
Apr 14, 2005 - 2:58 pm 4. exmaple:Here is a link to the FT article, full text cached.
http://216.109.117.135/search/cache?p=%22vevey-sports%22+annan&ei=UTF-8&fl=0&u=news.ft.com/cms/s/0ae2dd4a-a038-11d9-a3ba-00000e2511c8.html&w=%22vevey+sports%22+annan&d=9030239D78&icp=1&.intl=us
The money may have come from his association with Air Harbour Technologies, involved in a controversial Zimbabwe infrastructure project. Not related to OFF (as far as I know), but yet again another of the Canadian establishment elite was involved with the company, Maurice Strong.
I suggest, because I very much would like to see, someone make a colorful flow chart with pictures of all the players, espec. Canadian, connecting lines, connections explained. Maybe a project for the AcePilots.com fellow?
“The truth is that in Swiss football, if someone brings the money, nobody really asks why.”
A cultural tradition.
Apr 14, 2005 - 3:12 pm 5. Silicon valley Jim:Kojo invested $235,000 in an ailing Swiss soccer club called Vevey-Sports and was elected the club’s president.
I’m reminded of the passage in P.G. Wodehouse’s marvelous novel Heavy Weather, in which Monty Bodkin offers Percy Pilbeam a large sum of money (let’s say that it’s five-thousand pounds) to become an employee of Pilbeam’s Argus Detective Agency. Pilbeam says, “For five-thousand pounds, you can be a partner.” If Kojo gave me that much money, he could be president of my (one-man) company, too.
Apr 14, 2005 - 4:07 pm 6. Buddy Larsen:Just don’t spend it around any elevator shafts, Jim.
Apr 14, 2005 - 4:26 pm 7. Buddy Larsen:exmaple, re ‘the Swiss’, remember Robert Duvall’s “Godfather” character Tom Hagen?
Apr 14, 2005 - 4:34 pm 8. jedrury:There are work horses and show horses in the United States Senators. Dodd and Boxer are thorough bred show horses. Asking them to engage in some type of investigatory or reformation efforts in the Senate is not in their job descriptions.
Apr 14, 2005 - 5:42 pm 9. Terrye:trying to follow the money in this deal makes one feel like a mouse in a maze.
it just goes on and on and on….
Apr 14, 2005 - 6:44 pm 10. Kyda Sylvester:Where did the 25-year-old Annan — who comes from a family of moderate means and who, until 1998, was making some $2,500 a month — get that kind of throw-around money?
I don’t want to jump to any conclusions too quickly. It happens. Why, I know someone who, without experience or expertise, parlayed $1000 into $100,000 in the futures market. Perhaps he’s an exceptionally canny investor.
OT–I like this Talabani guy.
Apr 14, 2005 - 7:52 pm 11. exmaple:Buddy says,
“”exmaple, re ‘the Swiss’, remember Robert Duvall’s “Godfather” character Tom Hagen?”"
That stumped me. I looked around, from Godfather III yes? I was warned away from that one. Never saw it.
Apr 14, 2005 - 8:13 pm 12. richard mcenroe:Where’d he get that kind of money? Arkansas cattle futures, of course…
Apr 14, 2005 - 8:43 pm 13. Silicon valley Jim:There are work horses and show horses in the United States Senators. Dodd and Boxer are thorough bred show horses.
I’d say that each is just one part of a horse, the same part for each of them.
Apr 14, 2005 - 8:47 pm 14. Buddy Larsen:Nah, exmaple, he was the consigl…the lawyer from GFI…maybe the others, too, can’t recall. The ‘legitimizer’.
Talabani, right, Kyda, he does seem like a good guy. Gratifying, fer sher!
Jim, agreed, it’s a miracle they can still bray so clearly. You think it’d be more muffled-sounding.
Apr 14, 2005 - 9:00 pm 15. Eg:Roger,
I think that was at about the same time he and Kofi got together and decided to go into gaming for propaganda and terror. It looks like their first foray has already been released, Food Farce. Woops! I meant Force…Food Force, that’s it.
GaijinBiker has more on the propaganda. Sorry again…I meant game.
Apr 15, 2005 - 4:52 am 16. Duke:Leave poor Kofi alone. Go after the one who is really responsible: Barbara Streisand
Apr 15, 2005 - 5:07 am 17. Ron:Kojo puts $235,000 into a team? In some portions of the world thats a lot of money, wonder what’s under his bed? Doesn’t he also own a flat in London? Has anyone done an asset check on the man yet, property searches, stocks/bonds and all the burrowing that causes grief to those with to much money and not enough job history to cover the amounts. Benin Sevan has 4 or 5 pieces of property in and around New York, does UN personnel lose assets gained by flim flamery or does their ‘immunity’ make them immune to normal laws that would put you and I away for as time. What a deal the UN is for those lucky enough to get a job there, all the money you can steal, all the women you can rape and all the oil you can drink and immunity when your caught. Mr. Sevan in a 5 Star Hotel in Cyprus, kicking back and thinking of his poor old aunty going into the elevator shaft, counting his $25,000 a month retirement benefits. World government coming up, wait until that happens, then the perks will be tremendous.
Apr 15, 2005 - 6:19 am 18. Buddy Larsen:Ron, as long as the proles keep grinding out the work that makes the wealth, as long as Hollywood can keep us dazed and confused, as long as MSM can distract/demolish any questioners that wander out from our gray hordes, what you’re talking about can stay right on schedule–provided the goldfingers can ride out this silly little Bush Administration.
Duke, Babs may not be so bad; just terribly confused.
Apr 15, 2005 - 7:16 am 19. Dave Halliday:Unnh Rodger? Have a talk with your Editor.
The title of this post should read:
“April 14, 2005: The Food-for-Kojo Program”
The last word is not Progam.
As for myself, I like a well-turned gam.
I can be said to be definitely pro gam.
Don’t think this is what you wanted to convey through…
Great article otherwise!
Dave
Apr 15, 2005 - 11:32 pm 20. Buddy Larsen:Dave, he was trying to say, “This story has legs!”
Apr 16, 2005 - 10:43 am