It's simple.

Charles Pasqua has given a phone interview and denied all allegations of misconduct in the UN's oil-for-food program. So that is that.

FRENCH EX-MINISTER DENIES SCANDAL

Charles Pasqua, a conservative who headed the Interior Ministry in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was named in a report last October by U.S. arms inspector Charles Duelfer as one of several officials who allegedly benefited from corruption in the humanitarian program. The politicians and officials cited in the report were mainly from Russia, France and China.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Pasqua denied involvement in the scandal and said the detention earlier this week of his former aide, Bernard Guillet, in a French judge's investigation of the program "does not concern me."

Guillet, Pasqua's former aide was taken into custody [scil., arrested] on Tuesday and was presented Thursday before magistrate Philippe Courroye, who is investigating aspects of the U.N. oil-for-food program, judicial officials said. Guillet is under investigation for suspected influence-peddling and receiving misappropriated funds. ["My role was only to say to Tariq Aziz [deputy prime minister] or others, 'Look, there are some companies that are willing to work and they're having difficulties.' That's it."]

Pasqua said he and Guillet no longer work together. "Since 2001, Mr. Guillet has been living his life and he is no longer with me," the former minister said. "He is no longer my adviser."

Asked about claims that he traded in Iraqi oil, he said: "Of course not. All of that is ridiculous."

"I have said and thus I confirm that I have strictly nothing to do with this affair. I never received anything. I never took part in any sales," he said in the telephone interview.

Pasqua, who in his current post as senator has immunity from prosecution, suggested he was unwittingly implicated in Duelfer's report.

Here is one of those unwitting implications, p.38: 11 million barrels allocated to M. Pasqua; 10.75 million barrels lifted for M. Pasqua. This unwitting implication is based on secret lists maintained by Vice President Taha Yasin Ramadan al-Jizrawi and the Minister for Oil, Amir Rashid Muhammad al-Ubaydi (pgs. 9/#74, 12/#92, 15/#113).

Recipients, especially those not in the petroleum business, could sell or trade the allocations at a discount to international oil buyers or companies at a 10 to 35 cent per barrel profit.

We are much relieved to have M. Pasqua's inviolable word on all this. When we first encountered M. Pasqua he was unavailable for comment when damning memos from Iraqi intelligence officials surfaced. At the time we fancifully and -- as it turns out -- presciently put forward the whole of M. Pasqua's defense:

Herve Ladsous, French Foreign Ministry spokesman (Somberly.): Monsieur, these allegations are very serious. Did you accept vouchers or personally benefit in any way from your dealings with Saddam?

M. Pasqua (Innocently horrified.): Oh no, Monsieur!

M. Ladsous (Triumpant.): France pronounces this report is baseless.

[Emphases added.]

I love this stuff! Keep up the good work!