Auchi connection
New attention is being focused on indirect connections between Iraqi-British billionaire Nadhmi Auchi, who has been tied to illegal activities in Iraq and France, and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.
Auchi gave at least $10.5 million to Obama fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, including a payment of $3.5 million that coincided with Obama's purchase in 2005 of a $1.65 million Chicago house, The timing of the payment and the house purchase, along with the purchase of land next door by Mr. Rezko's wife Rita from the same seller, raise questions about whether Auchi helped buy the house.
Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama, would not answer when asked if Auchi helped buy the senator's house. He said the senator did not recall ever meeting Auchi, who was convicted of corruption charges in France in 2003.
A lawyer for Auchi said that his client is not aware that the money from a company linked to Auchi was used to buy Obama's house. Auchi and Obama had a brief encounter in 2004 at the Four Seasons Hotel in CA 2004. A Pentagon report identified Auchi as a global arms dealer and Iraqi billionaire "who, behind the facade of legitimate business, served as Saddam Hussein's principle international financial manipulator and bag man."
The report to the Pentagon inspector general stated that "significant and credible evidence was developed that a conspiracy was organized by Nadhmi Auchi to offer bribes to 'fix' the awarding of cellular licensing contracts covering three geographic areas of Iraq" under the U.S. Coalition Provisional Authority.
"Additionally, significant and credible evidence has been developed that Nadhmi Auchi has engaged in unlawful activities working closely with Iraqi intelligence operatives to:
"Bribe foreign governments and individuals prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom to turn opinion against the American-led mission to remove Saddam Hussein.
• "Arrange for significant theft from the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program to smuggle weapons and dual-use technology into Iraq ....
• "Organize an elaborate scheme to take over and control the post-war cellular phone system in Iraq."
The report suggests Auchi has ties to British intelligence through a 2002 association with a former British intelligence chief, and that British telecommunications companies may have used Auchi to gain access to cellular phone markets in post-invasion Iraq.
Auchi has denied accusations over the cell phone contract.
Auchi gave a $3.5 million loan to Rezko in May 2005 through a Panamanian company linked to the Iraqi expatriate called Fintrade Services SA.
Several weeks after the loan,. Obama purchased a house on Chicago's South Side and Rezko's wife bought an expensive plot of land next to the house from the same seller on the same day. Rezko's wife later sold a 10-foot section of the property to Obama, to add to the Illinois Democrat's garden. In selling the 10ft land to Obama, it made Rezko’s lot unbuildable, thus Obama has a large piece of raw land next to his house that is un-buildable. Obama has called the land purchase a mistake.