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Behind the U.N. Oil-for-Food Scandal
In an effort to address the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people while maintaining sanctions against the regime, the United Nations established the Oil-for-Food Programme. Although initially viewed as temporary, the Programme lasted for seven years and comprised more than $100 billion in oil and humanitarian goods transactions. As now well chronicled, the Programme became riddled with fraud. Saddam Hussein ultimately turned the Programme to his own advantage, extracting surcharges and kickbacks from companies doing business under the Programme.
Media Credit: Boris Berdichevskly - The Ticker
In April 2004, the Secretary-General appointed the Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme, under the chairmanship of Paul A. Volcker (former Chairman of the Federal Reserve), to investigate the Programme’s administration and management, including allegations of fraud and corruption. From September 2004 to December 2005, Andrew M. Levine served as Deputy Counsel to the Committee. He spearheaded the investigation into member state oversight of Iraq’s humanitarian purchases under the Programme, including the Security Council’s efforts to address illicit payments to the Iraqi regime. He drafted key sections of the Committee’s reports and served as one of the Committee’s two principal editors. In addition, he advised the Committee on legal issues and negotiated cooperation agreements with governments and companies. After the Committee concluded its investigation and released its final report, Mr. Levine managed the team that responded to law enforcement authorities seeking evidence of companies and individuals that paid kickbacks.
In his talk, Mr. Levine addressed both the political complexity of the Programme and the problems of auditing and monitoring a massive international program. He presented an overview of the Programme and its problems and participate in a lengthy Q and A.
About Andrew M. Levine, Esq.
Following his recent service as Deputy Counsel to the Independent Inquiry Committee, Andrew M. Levine joined the New York office of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP as a litigation associate. He previously clerked for Judge Lewis A. Kaplan on the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York and for Judge Dennis Jacobs on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Before law school, Mr. Levine worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised leading international corporations and nonprofit organizations on issues of strategy, operations, and organization.
Mr. Levine received his B.A. from Yale College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude. He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as Senior Editor of the Yale Law Journal and Submissions Editor of the Yale Journal of International Law.