U.N.'s Sevan Suspension Meaningless 
With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
February 7, 2005
Newsmax
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/2/7/145519.shtml
The suspension of former Iraq Oil-for-Food program director Benon V. Sevan by U.N. chief Kofi Annan is little more than cosmetics.

On Monday, the United Nations announced the secretary-general had decided to suspend the 40-year U.N. vet after a critical report from Paul Volcker, who has been leading an investigation into allegations of corruption in the program. Though only a preliminary report, the former Fed chairman did conclude that Sevan had engaged in irreconcilable conflicts of interest in the way the program awarded contracts. 
Volcker, however, stopped short of leveling any criminal accusations. 
The U.N. has limited recourse against Sevan, who retired from the organization last year. 
The Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) tells NewsMax that Sevan's pension cannot be touched. 
Inside sources claim the pension Sevan receives is in excess of $75,000 yearly. Other estimates say the pension is closer to $100,000. 
Currently, the U.N. does pay the former official $1 a year for legal reasons ... that appears untouched. 
So, what did the U.N. do in suspending Benon Sevan? 
Apparently, not much. 
An e-mail by Sevan to NewsMax on Monday only speaks of the loss of his U.N.-sponsored Internet access and e-mail account. 
He has already replaced both. 
Not a bad a trade-off when you consider that U.S. congressional investigators say as much as $21 billion may have been stolen from the U.N. program during its seven-year life.