Bush says gas overcharge must be refunded

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush said Friday any money that may have resulted from overcharging the Army in Iraq for gas must be returned to the government.

"We're going to watch, we're going to make sure that as we spend the

money in Iraq, that it's spent well and spent wisely," he said. "And their (the Pentagon's) investigation will lay the facts out for everybody to see.

"If there's an overcharge, like we think there is, we expect that money to be repaid."

Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton, is suspected of overcharging the U.S. Army at least $61 million for gasoline in Iraq.

The suspected overcharge came to light in a draft audit by the Pentagon, which awards contracts for supplying military forces and for rebuilding Iraq.

Halliburton was run by Vice President Dick Cheney before he ran for vice president.

Pentagon investigations are under way.