A foreign-currency exchange employee weighs a package of the Iraqi bank notes adorned with Saddam Hussein portraits.
Photo: Dmitry Lekay
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Voloshin and Emergency Ministry Listed among Saddam’s Business Partners
October 7, Former head of RF presidential administration Aleksandr Voloshin and the Emergency Ministry of Russia (MChS) appear in an Iraqi government report based on an investigation of Saddam Hussein’s illegal transactions with oil. This was reported by The Moscow Times, which was able to get a copy of the report through unofficial channels. According to the report, United Russia, the KPRF, the LDPR and about 20 Russian companies appeared among organizations who received oil from Hussein.
According to The Moscow Times, the report also states the sums earned on illegal transactions with Hussein: Voloshin is suspected in receiving $638,000, KPRF - $16.4 million, LDPR - $8.7 million, MChS - $7.6 million. The Moscow Times emphasized that MChS head Sergey Shoigu headed up the United Russia Party at the same time.
The Iraqi government initiated the investigation of Hussein’s operations on the oil market after Iraqi newspaper Al Mada accused politicians, public figures, organizations and companies of receiving bribes from the former Iraq president. On Sunday, the British Sunday Times published the government report from the investigation. It said that Russian representatives undoubtedly took priority and received a third of all Iraq’s oil in exchange for political support.
Soon after the first publication in Al Mada, the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a statement to the effect that the export of Iraqi oil was done exclusively within the limits of the UN humanitarian “Oil for Food" program. Such statements can be made only by those completely unfamiliar with the mechanism of export of Iraqi oil during the sanctions at that time. What we are dealing with is conscious disinformation,” the ministry’s announcement about the publication said.
Accusations of illegal transactions have already been denied by the Russian communists and the LDPR. The Russian Orthodox Church, which also appeared on the Iraqi journalists’ list, has made its denial as well.
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