Galloway dismisses new oil claims

BBC

Respect MP George Galloway has denied new claims that he profited from Saddam Hussein's oil-for-food programme and lied about it under oath.
The US Senate committee claims the anti-war MP lied to its members when he testified in Washington in May.

The committee says it has seen bank records linking Mr Galloway and his wife with Iraqi government vouchers.

In a statement, the MP said he had not made a penny from any deal with Iraq. His wife has previously issued denials.

'Smoking gun'

However, the committee chairman Norm Coleman said documents it had uncovered were "the smoking gun".

Mr Coleman claimed that Mr Galloway had "been anything but straight" with the committee.

BBC Washington correspondent Justin Webb said the development meant the senators' confrontation with Mr Galloway had "reached a new and more serious stage".

The Bethnal Green and Bow MP appeared before a US Senate committee on 17 May. The former Labour MP travelled to Washington after senators accused him of receiving credit to buy Iraqi oil.

One of the main allegations raised by the Senate sub-committee was that Mr Galloway received oil allocations with the assistance of Fawaz Zureikat.

Mr Zureikat, who was chairman of the Marian Appeal set up by Mr Galloway to help a four-year-old Iraqi girl with leukaemia, has strongly denied making any arrangements linked to oil sales on behalf of the MP.

Mr Galloway has always denied funds from the sale of Iraqi oil were funnelled through the Mariam Appeal.

In December, Mr Galloway won £150,000 in libel damages from the Daily Telegraph over its separate claims he had received money from Saddam's regime. The paper is currently awaiting the result of its appeal against that ruling.