NEW YORK, September 11 (RIA Novosti) - The trial of a famous Texas businessman, charged with paying some $4 million in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime as part of the oil-for-food program, has started in Manhattan's federal court.
Oscar Wyatt, 83, faces over 70 years in prison if found guilty of secretly providing funds and equipment to the Iraqi government in exchange for contracts under the controversial UN oil-for-food program, which ran 1996 through 2003.
The program aimed to help Iraqis cope with UN sanctions imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, and permitted the sale of Iraqi oil in exchange for humanitarian goods
In the early 2000s allegations of corruption in the controversial program became more frequent, when Iraqi officials started demanding surcharges on contracts.
Wyatt was a friend of presidents Kennedy and Johnson and was on friendly terms with Reagan, Nixon and Clinton.
