U.N. agrees to reinstate fired official
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-16 01:06

The United Nations agreed Tuesday to reinstate the only U.N. official who was fired over the Iraq oil-for-food scandal, after an internal appeals body ruled that he had done nothing wrong, his lawyer said.

Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi pledged the Indian government would take action against anyone found to be involved in making money out of the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq. [AFP]

Joseph Stephanides was advised of the decision in a letter received Tuesday morning, said his lawyer, George Irving. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan still believes that Stephanides, fired on May 31, violated staff rules in his handling of an oil-for-food contract but agreed the punishment was too harsh, Irving said.