A former UN procurement officer, Russia's Alexander Yakovlev has pleaded guilty to accepting huge bribes
A former UN procurement officer, Russia?s Alexander Yakovlev has pleaded guilty to accepting huge bribes from UN contractors.
As investigators said, Yakovlev had receiving almost $1m in bribes outside of the oil-for-food programme. They also accused him of soliciting a bribe from a contractor who was involved in the oil-for-food programme.
Yakovlev pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering, a federal prosecutor said.
UN secretary general Kofi Annan had waived Mr Yakovlev's diplomatic immunity earlier on Monday.
Another bribetaker, the former director of the UN's oil-for-food programme Benon Sevan, has been accused of taking kickbacks recently.
The UN-appointed Volcker panel, which is investigating the case, said that Sevan took nearly $150,000 in cash bribes.
