Texas oil man pleads guilty in oil-for-food case

[flashl]

Wyatt Pleads Guilty in Oil-For-Food Case

Texas oilman Oscar Wyatt Jr. pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he paid millions of dollars to Iraqi officials to illegally win contracts connected to the United Nations oil-for-food program.

Wyatt told the federal judge in Manhattan that he agreed in December 2001 to advise others to pay a surcharge into an Iraqi account in Jordan in violation of a program rule calling for no direct payments to Iraq.

"I didn't want to waste any more time at 83 years old fooling with this operation," Wyatt said outside court. "The quicker I get it over with the better."

The plea deal calls for Wyatt to be sentenced on Nov. 27 to 18 to 24 months in prison, unless the judge decides otherwise. He also has agreed to forfeit $11 million.

[unhappycamper]

1. It sounds like they had him by the short hairs. n/t

[gratuitous]

2. Don't worry

George W. Bush will turn his blindingly bright legal acumen on this case, and determine that a serious miscarriage of justice has occurred. The only question will be whether it will be a commutation or a full pardon. Vegas oddsmakers, start your engines!

[flashl]

3. Isn't this odd?

Prosecutors played a tape for the jury of the conversation in which Hussein promised Wyatt that Americans would be released as Wyatt and former Texas Gov. John Connally spoke sympathetically about Iraq's plight.

Where would they get a tape of his conversation?

[monktonman]

4. He will be pradoned.