Grand jury indicts five over Iraqi bribes

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted three former U.S. Army officers and two others in a bribery plot against Iraq's Coalition Provisional Authority.

The Justice Department said the five were involved in an elaborate bribery, fraud and money laundering scheme, which was spelled out in a 25-count indictment.

Named in the indictment were U.S. Army Col. Curtis G. Whiteford, Lt. Cols. Debra M. Harrison and Michael B. Wheeler, and civilians Michael Morris and William Driver.

The five defendants were indicted on charges they illegally influenced the appropriation of Iraqi government contracts through the use of bribes. The former Army personnel also were accused of using stolen funds to buy weapons.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty said the indictment showed the U.S. government would not stand for personal profiteering off of the war in Iraq.

"This indictment alleges that the defendants flagrantly enriched themselves at the expense of the Iraqi people - the very people they were there to help," McNulty said.