No, I had no advance knowledge of today’s announcement that Iraqi-American Samir Vincent had struck a plea bargain with the Justice Department in return for information on Oil-for-Food criminality, though it sure makes yesterday’s post seem prescient.
The exact nature of the charges to which Vincent will plead is not yet known. Vincent will agree to help the prosecution as part of the deal, officials said.
This case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York. The Justice Department’s probe also has included U.N. Secretary Kofi Annan’s son Kojo Annan.
Vincent’s name was listed in the CIA’s Iraq Survey Group (search) report released in October 2003, which cited the Oil-for-Food scandal extensively in its discussion of Saddam Hussein’s schemes.
According to the report, Phoenix was awarded 1.5 million barrels of oil in 1999 and 2000, netting Vincent $1 million. Vincent and Phoenix received vouchers for 7.9 million barrels of oil, for a profit of $3.6 million between 1997 and 2001, according to the report.
More to come momentarily.
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