Direct evidence of AWB's knowledge about trucking fees on wheat sales being paid as kickbacks to Iraq has finally been received by the Cole inquiry into the oil-for-food scandal.
The inquiry heard that the documents contradicting the evidence of several senior AWB executives could have changed the course of the inquiry if they had been produced earlier.
Several wheat market reports state that transport fees paid to Alia Trucking in Jordan were covered under failed contracts and went to the Iraq Ministry of Transport.
The monthly reports in 2001 and 2002 also claim the fees were approved by the United Nations.
The data, which was held electronically at AWB, was only produced yesterday evening.
It was used to report to the Australian Wheat Export Authority, but AWB is yet to produce the reports which went to the watchdog to determine whether the statutory body was also told about the payments to the Iraqi regime.
The material contradicts AWB executives who had said under oath that they did not know trucking fees went directly to the former Iraqi regime.
AWB has today been blamed for wasting time and taxpayers money on the lengthy oil-for-food inquiry.
The senior lawyer on the inquiry, John Agius, says the documents which were only produced today could have cut down the amount of time, money and effort spent in examining AWB witnesses.
Commissioner Terence Cole is heading the inquiry investigating $300 million worth of payments made by AWB to the former Iraqi regime in contravention of UN sanctions against Iraq.
Dave R.
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