Senate panel accuses former Oil-for-Food head of pocketing over $1M News
Senate panel accuses former Oil-for-Food head of pocketing over $1M

[JURIST] The US Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations [official website] has said that former head of the UN Oil-for-Food program [official website] Benon Sevan [official profile] made over $1 million from allocating oil from Saddam Hussein's regime. An independent UN inquiry into the Oil-for-Food program concluded that Sevan solicited oil deals in an improper manner [JURIST report; UN Inquiry report – PDF text], but stopped short of accusing Sevan of bribery or criminal conduct. Last week, Sevan was formally suspended [JURIST report] from his post. The Senate Subcommittee's accusations against Sevan come as it prepares to hold a second hearing [witness list] Tuesday on the operations of independent inspection agents retained by the UN and their role within the Oil-For-Food program. Live audio of the hearing will be available beginning at 9:30 AM ET. AFP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emporer

On December 25, 800 A.D., Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome, Italy. During his lifetime, Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He is credited with spreading the rule of law throughout his dominions as well as starting the French and German monarchies.

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On December 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all who had been involved in "insurrection or rebellion" during the US Civil War.