Clinton allows aides to testify

Clinton: Unprecedented spree of pardons

Former US President Bill Clinton will not block former aides from testifying about the controversial pardons that he issued on his last day in office.

Mr Clinton's lawyer said he would not invoke executive privilege, clearing the way for three close associates to appear before a House of Representatives committee on Thursday.

The truth will prevail, so I'm not worried at all

Bill Clinton

The House Government Reform Committee is investigating allegations that fugitive financier Marc Rich essentially bought his presidential pardon.

Mr Rich, who has lived in self-imposed exile since he was indicted in 1983, said he would not testify, nor would he allow his lawyers to do so.

The House inquiry is one of two investigations into Mr Clinton's last-minute pardons. A US Attorney is carrying out a separate inquiry.

'Truth will prevail'

Mr Clinton said he was not concerned by the attention journalists have paid to his pardons.

Mr Rodham (left) returned $400,000 he got for lobbying for pardons

"People always get it right in the long run, and the truth will prevail. So I'm not worried at all", Mr Clinton is quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Americans have heard revelation after revelation about the 140 pardons and 36 commutations of sentence Mr Clinton issued on 20 January to people ranging from a convicted cocaine dealer to the president's own brother.

Both Mr Clinton's brother and Hillary Clinton's brother have been accused of lobbying for pardons.

Mrs Clinton's brother, Miami lawyer Hugh Rodham, admitted accepting nearly $400,000 to act on behalf of two people who received pardons.

He returned the money at the Clintons' insistence.

Major donor

But most attention has focused on the pardon of Mr Rich, whose ex-wife Denise is a major contributor to Mr Clinton's Democratic party and to the Clinton Presidential Library foundation.

Mr Rich's ex-wife donated money to the Democrats

Mr Rich fled to Switzerland in 1983 after being charged in the US with 51 counts of fraud, tax evasion and sanctions busting.

He said earlier this week that the charges against him were unjust.

"The indictment against me in the United States was wrong and was meant to hurt me personally," a statement faxed from a Tel Aviv public-relations firm quoted Mr Rich as saying.

"The pardon granted by President Clinton remedied this injustice 18 years later," the statement continued.

The Belgian-born billionaire grew up in the US, but renounced US citizenship.

He was charged with evading $48m in tax - the biggest case of its kind in US history.

He was also indicted on fraud charges, and for conducting oil deals in breach of a trade embargo with Iran.