Friday, April 22 2005 11:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: The United States has cast doubt on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's claim that he had been cleared of wrongdoing in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mark Lagon said yesterday (Apr 21, 2005) that Annan had probably exaggerated the interim findings from a commission of enquiry headed by former US Federal Reserve banking chief Paul Volcker.

"It is probably an exaggeration to suggest that the Volcker report exonerated the Secretary General," Lagon said.

"It appears that two people who had a hand in forming that report think that even what the report said is perhaps a little too charitable about the Secretary General and his leadership," he said.

A Volcker panel spokeswoman confirmed earlier that two of its investigators had resigned but declined to comment on reports that they had quit because the probe was too easy on Annan.

In a report last month, the Volcker commission said that Annan had not improperly influenced the awarding of an oil-for-food contract to a company that employed his son Kojo.

But it said his investigation into any possible conflict of interest was inadequate, adding that the firm would likely not have had its lucrative contract renewed if Annan had carried out a proper enquiry.

Annan said he had been "exonerated" by the findings and again insisted he would not stand down.