Kofi Annan: ‘Hell no,’ he won't quit

UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, asked Tuesday if he would resign after a critical report concerning the oil-for-food scandal in Iraq, replied, "Hell, no."

Annan was speaking after the release of a report by investigators, who said Tuesday there was not enough evidence to show that Annan knew of a contract bid by his son's employer for the oil-for-food program in Iraq. However, they criticized the U.N. chief for not properly investigating possible conflicts of interest in the matter.

While Annan said he accepted that criticism, he was happy with the report's findings he committed no wrongdoing.

"After so many distressing and untrue allegations have been made against me, this exoneration by the independent inquiry obviously comes as a great relief," he said.

The report released Tuesday accused the company, Cotecna Inspection S.A., and Annan’s son, Kojo, of trying to conceal their relationship after the contract was awarded. It also faulted Kofi Annan for conducting a one-day investigation into the matter, saying it should have been a more rigorous, independent probe.

The report’s conclusion was not the clear vindication that the secretary-general had wanted, though the investigation led by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker did not accuse the U.N. chief of corruption or any other wrongdoing.

Annan: 'Cleared... of wrongdoing"
In a brief statement, Kofi Annan ignored the brunt of investigators’ criticism, saying only that on the “key issue” of the Cotecna contract, he was found to have done nothing wrong.

“As I had always hoped and firmly believed, the inquiry has cleared me of any wrongdoing,” Kofi Annan said.

At a press conference after the report was released, Volcker said the investigation found no evidence that Kofi Annan improperly influenced the process by which Cotecna was selected for an inspection contract under the oil-for-food program.

“Our investigation has disclosed several instances in which he might, or could have become aware, of Cotecna’s participation in the bidding process,” Volcker said. “However, there is neither convincing testimony to that effect nor any documentary evidence.

“Taking all of this into account, the committee has not found the evidence is reasonably sufficient to show that the secretary-general knew that Cotecna had participated in the bidding process in 1998,” Volcker said.

Kojo Annan worked for Cotecna in West Africa from 1995 to December 1997, and then was a consultant for the firm until the end of 1998 -- when it won the oil-for-food contract. He remained on the Cotecna payroll until 2004 on a contract to prevent him from working for a competitor in West Africa.

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