By Evelyn Leopold
45 minutes ago
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan, himself under attack for mismanagement of the Iraq oil-for-food program, has dismissed the first U.N. official connected to the scandal-tainted humanitarian plan, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Joseph Stephanides, a veteran mid-level official who contends his actions were approved by his superiors, was accused by a U.N.-appointed inquiry of steering a lucrative contract under the oil-for-food program to a British firm.
Annan, who was not secretary-general when the incident took place in 1996, concluded Stephanides committed "serious misconduct" and "was separated from service with immediate effect," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Stephanides, through his lawyer, said he would appeal. His actions were proper under U.N. rules and authorized by his superiors, attorney George Irving told Reuters.
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more:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050601/wl_nm/iraq_un_staff_dc_3