United Nations

SG/SM/9295
                                                                                                                        IK/437
                                                                                                                        7 May 2004

Secretary-General Assures Oil-for-Food Inquiry of Full Cooperation of All UN Staff

NEW YORK, 6 May (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the statement issued today by Mr. Paul Volcker, chairman of the Independent Inquiry into allegations concerning the Oil-for-Food Programme.  He fully accepts the arrangements set out in that statement, and again assures the Inquiry of the full cooperation of all United Nations staff.  He earnestly hopes that the Inquiry will reveal the full truth about the management of the Programme, and repeats his undertaking to waive the immunity of any official found by the Inquiry to have broken the law.

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