UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says he was surprised to learn the extent of payments made to his son from an Iraq Oil-for-Food Program inspection company.
Annan Monday also said he understands "the perception problem for the United Nations, or the perception of conflict of interests and wrongdoing." But he says he is determined to focus on U.N. reform and implementation of Millennium Development Goals -- projects he knew would be difficult, but now made even more challenging.
It was learned last week, Annan's son, Kojo, had been receiving until February payments as an ex-Cotecna employee for not competing with the Swiss firm the United Nations retained to inspect Oil-for Food shipments for contract compliance. The U.N. previously said the shipments ended in 1998.
Asked if he talked with his son, Annan said: "I did talk to my son. Naturally I was very disappointed and surprised." He did not elaborate.
When U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Danforth was asked if calls for Annan's resignation from some segments of the media were premature, he replied: "I am not for prejudging anything. I am for the absolute laying out of all of the evidence."
