Fed: Former UN official to give evidence to AWB inquiry

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2006
Fed: Former UN official to give evidence to AWB inquiry

SYDNEY, April 10 AAP - A former United Nations official has been called on to tell
the Cole inquiry what she knew about AWB's illicit payments to Saddam Hussein's regime.

Senior counsel assisting the inquiry John Agius, SC, today said Felicity Johnston,
a former UN Customs chief, had been asked to provide a sworn statement to commissioner
Terence Cole.

The call for her statement comes after Ms Johnston, who was seconded to the UN from
the British Customs Service, broke her silence to the ABC's Four Corners program about
the AWB kickbacks scandal.

She told the program, to be broadcast tonight, that the Australian government failed
six years ago to act on key warnings about AWB paying "shameful" kickbacks to the Iraqis.

Mr Agius said the UN had agreed to release Ms Johnston from her obligations to the
peace-keeping body and allowed her to provide written and oral evidence to the Cole inquiry.

He said the inquiry had also asked the British Customs Service to give Ms Johnston
authority to give evidence.

"We are confident we will have a statement from Ms Johnston shortly," Mr Agius said.

When Ms Johnston hands her statement to the inquiry it will be kept confidential until
she is called to give evidence.

Ms Johnston told Four Corners she passed on complaints by a third party country, now
known to be Canada, to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) officials in early 2000.

Canada had complained to the UN that AWB was making illicit payments to Iraq in the
form of trucking fees.

The Cole inquiry has heard that AWB paid the fees to Jordanian-based transport firm,
Alia, which was part-owned by Saddam's government.

However DFAT officials have told the inquiry Ms Johnston never mentioned trucking fees
when she raised the concerns about AWB.

"It would have been unthinkable for me as a person who comes from an investigative
customs background that I would not ... have mentioned the most salient point of the allegation,"

Ms Johnston said.

"It's something that could not and would not have occurred."

Meanwhile, Mr Cole has delayed making a decision on whether lawyers for two AWB executives
will be allowed to cross-examine Foreign Minister Alexander Downer when he appears at
the inquiry tomorrow.

Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Mark Vaile will be examined by the inquiry's
lawyers later today.

AAP bt/smb/lma/de

KEYWORD: AWB JOHNSTON

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