UN Veteran Fired Over Oil Scandal

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has sacked a senior official accused of serious misconduct over Iraq's oil-for-food programme.

Joseph Stephanides, who is alleged to have steered a lucrative contract to a British firm, is the first UN employee sacked over the scandal.

Mr Annan concluded that Mr Stephanides, of Cyprus, had breached UN staff procurement rules, a spokesman said.

Mr Stephanides, 59, rejected the charges and said he planned to appeal.

"I am very disappointed by this decision," the UN veteran of 25 years told the Associated Press news agency.

Mr Stephanides, who was head of the Security Council affairs division, said: "I look to the appeal process in the confident hope that justice will be made and I will be exonerated because I have committed no wrongdoing."

His lawyer told Reuters the decision to award the contract was made by Mr Stephanides' superiors.