Galloway under pressure to clear name over Iraq money claims

MAVERICK British Labour MP George Galloway was facing mounting pressure last night over allegations that he received hundreds of thousands of pounds from the regime of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Prime Minister Tony Blair’s official spokesman described the claims, which the Glasgow Kelvin MP has denied, as “serious allegations.”

Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith called for a parliamentary probe into Mr Galloway’s financial affairs.

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith is considering whether, in his capacity as protector of charities, he should investigate a complaint that Mr Galloway may have used charity funds for non-charitable purposes.

Speaking to reporters in Shrewsbury where he was campaigning for next week’s local elections, Mr Duncan Smith said: “If he (Mr Galloway) clears his name, then fine, but I do think there needs to be an investigation by the privileges committee (House of Commons standards and privileges committee).

“If he does not clear his name then he has committed a crime. I say crime because, if it is true that he took money from the oil-for-food programme, it is a crime against humanity. That was money for food for the people in Iraq, it was not for George Galloway.”

The office of Sir Philip Mawer, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, said he had not received any complaint about Mr Galloway at this stage.

Asked about the allegations against Mr Galloway, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “They are serious allegations, but since I believe there is a prospect of legal action, I don’t think you would expect me to comment any further at this stage.”

The Daily Telegraph, which made the original allegations against Mr Galloway, yesterday reproduced a memo which it said was from a senior aide to the Iraqi dictator in which he turned down a request from Mr Galloway for more money, saying the Labour MP’s “exceptional” demands were unaffordable.

Yesterday the newspaper reported that the MP profited from the United Nations oil-for-food programme in Iraq. The claim was based on a memo allegedly from an Iraq intelligence official found in Baghdad.

Yesterday’s claims came as Mr Galloway faced a possible investigation into the Mariam Appeal, the campaign fund at the centre of the allegations that he was in the pay of Saddam.

Lord Goldsmith is studying a complaint from a member of the public that Mr Galloway promised to spend all the money raised by the appeal on treating sick Iraqi children, but used it to fund his travelling expenses.

The Attorney General is expected to decide in the next few days whether it is a matter for him, for the Charity Commission, or whether the matter should be taken further at all. Mr Galloway said the appeal’s accounts will be thrown open for the first time.The Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore said yesterday the paper stood by its story and would “look forward” to a legal battle with Mr Galloway. The newspaper has already received a letter from Mr Galloway’s lawyers.

Speaking on GMTV, Mr Moore said: “We certainly have had a legal letter and no doubt things will go forward from there. We look forward to that. We will defend our journalism robustly. I think it is excellent journalism and a fantastic scoop.”

Mr Galloway has been an outspoken critic of war in Iraq, describing Tony Blair and US president George Bush as “wolves” and urging British soldiers not to fight.

Labour officials, who were already examining those remarks, have launched a new probe into the Telegraph’s claims. However, suggestions that he took at least £375,000 a year from the regime have met with emphatic denials from Mr Galloway.

Speaking from his villa in Burgau, Portugal, he insisted the paperwork must have been forged as part of a smear campaign.Mr Galloway said he intended to stand as an independent candidate if he was not selected to stand as a potential Labour MP at the next general election.