KelliPundit

Monday, December 06, 2004

Kojo's Mojo for $$


As if we need another reason to push the United Nations out of our country, we now have this:
WASHINGTON — A Swiss company that won a lucrative U.N. oil-for-food contract agreed to continue paying U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's son for four years after he resigned because he possessed "sensitive information," about its operations, The Post has learned.

A copy of the controversial "no-compete," agreement between Annan's 29-year-old son, Kojo, and Cotecna Inspections SA — which led to payments of $2,500 a month until February of this year — was turned over to congressional committees under a recent subpoena and reviewed by The Post.

The agreement was written by Cotecna CEO Robert Massey on Jan. 11, 1999, less than two weeks after the firm won a $4.8 million contract to inspect and authenticate shipments of humanitarian goods entering Iraq under the oil-for-food program.

"I confirm that in consideration of the sensitive information you have accumulated whilst working for our company, we wish to reach an agreement whereby you will refrain from any similar consultancy or employment in the same field for or on behalf of any other inspection company," Massey wrote.

At the time the agreement was reached, Kojo, clearly trading on his father's connections, had just completed a whirlwind round of power brokering, meeting with heads of state and government ministers at three U.N. conferences to lobby for government contracts for Cotecna.

Ginny Wolfe, a spokeswoman for Cotecna, denied that Kojo was involved in winning the oil-for-food contract and said his lobbying efforts with heads of state and government ministers was limited to Africa, which was "his beat," and were perfectly legal.

She said his activities were "no different from the lobbyists who flock up to Capitol Hill every day."

Kojo, who now lives in Nigeria, could not be reached, and the United Nations is refusing further comment on his business activities.

Yep, I bet he's refusing comments. His dad is probably on the phone pleading for his son to keep his mouth shut. This Kojo gravy train is disgusting, and anyone who believes for a second his dear ole dad didn't know what was going on.... Well I've got some great ocean-front property in Oklahoma I'd like to sell ya.

(Link via Lucianne)