Cole inquiry
| Also known as | AWB oil-for-wheat scandal |
|---|---|
| Inquiries |
|
| Commissioner | The Honourable Justice Terence Cole AO RFD QC |
| Inquiry period | 10 November 2005 – 27 November 2006 |
| Constituting instrument | Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth) |
| Website | www |
The Inquiry into certain Australian companies in relation to the UN Oil-For-Food Programme, or less formally, the Cole Inquiry, was a Royal Commission established by the Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth) to investigate "whether decisions, actions, conduct or payments by Australian companies mentioned in the Volcker Inquiry into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme breached any Federal, State or Territory law."
The inquiry commenced on 10 November 2005 and was overseen by a sole Royal Commissioner, The Honourable Justice Terence Cole AO RFD QC. Justice Cole handed the commission's five volume report to the Governor-General on 24 November 2006; and the report was tabled in parliament on 27 November 2006.
The Volcker Inquiry was set up to investigate the systematic corruption of the Oil-for-Food Programme (or Program) by the Arab nationalist and Arab socialist government of the fifth President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein.
The United Nations Independent Inquiry Committee was formed to investigate allegations of corruption and fraud in the UN Oil-for-Food Programme. Paul Volcker's report, released in October 2005, found that AWB Limited (AWB) was the biggest single source of kickbacks made to the Iraqi government. In exchange for trouble-free disembarkation of wheat purchased under the Oil for food program, AWB paid 'trucking charges' totaling A$300 million to Alia, a Jordanian trucking company. Volcker found that Alia kept a small percentage of the 'charges', and passed the remainder to the government of Saddam Hussein. An accompanying statement released with the report by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan requested that “national authorities take steps to prevent the recurrence of such practices in the future and that they take action, where appropriate, against companies falling within their jurisdiction.”
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