George Galloway denies new oil scandal claims (Filed: 25/10/2005)
George Galloway, the Respect Party MP, has strongly rejected new allegations that he profited from Saddam Hussein's oil-for-food programme and then lied about it under oath.
Mr Galloway angrily rejected the new claims
The US Senate committee investigating the anti-war MP's alleged involvement in the saga claims to have discovered about £100,000 ($149,980) in Iraqi oil money in his wife's bank account.
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has also accused Mr Galloway of "knowingly making false or misleading statements" at the May 17 hearing into the alleged oil-for-food scandal.
The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow has denied lying to the Senate committee and said he was "completely bemused" by the reports.
He challenged the US authorities to bring perjury charges against him.
"If a Senate committee can go on the international airwaves without putting this to you, without sending me an advance and accuse me of lying under oath in front of a Senate committee, then I demand they charge me with perjury and I'll be on the next plane to face it," he told BBC Radio.
Mr Galloway declared last night that is was "Groundhog Day," and said he stood by his statement to the Senate Committee in May.
"I've already comprehensively dealt with these allegations under oath in the High Court and the US Senate, to the Charity Commission and in innumerable media inquiries," he said.
"Let me once again repeat. I have never benefited from any oil deal and I have never asked anyone to act on my behalf."
Mr Galloway appeared before senators five months ago and assailed them for suggesting that he had a business relationship with Saddam Hussein's dictatorship.
He told the chairman, Senator Norm Coleman: "You have nothing on me, senator, except my name on lists of names from Iraq."
Speaking about Senator Coleman's new evidence, Mr Galloway accused him of suffering from "acute attention deficit disorder."
"This ought to be dead, yet Norm Coleman parrots it once more, from 3000 miles away and protected by privilege," he said.
Mr Galloway's estranged wife, Dr Abu-Zayyad, is quoted in the report specifically denying she received any money.
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