UN man steps aside during inquiry

Maurice Strong denies any involvement with oil-for-food

The UN envoy to North Korea has stepped down while his links with a man charged in connection with the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal are investigated.

Canadian Maurice Strong was closely involved with the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme.

He says his dealings with South Korean businessman Park Tong-sun were innocent and will co-operate with the inquiry.

Last week a US attorney charged Mr Park with being paid by Saddam Hussein's regime to influence UN figures.

There are several investigations ongoing into the oil-for-food scandal, under which UN sanctions on Iraq were flouted and millions of dollars apparently diverted.

Friend of Annan

The US criminal complaint filed last week alleges that Mr Park accepted millions of dollars from Iraq and funnelled some of it to two high-ranking UN officials. The officials have not been identified.

Park Tong-sun was indicted in the US last week

The complaint calls for the arrest of Mr Park, who, a South Korean newspaper said, was hiding in Tokyo and considering a US plea bargain offer.

Mr Strong, an influential Canadian businessman - and a friend and part-time adviser to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan - denies any involvement with the $60bn (£32bn) oil-for-food programme.

But he admitted that Mr Park had invested money in an energy company he was involved with in 1997.

He said the dealings were carried out "on a normal commercial basis".

New policy

"I have continued to maintain a relationship with Mr Park," who was born in North Korea, he said on Monday.

"Indeed, as a native of North Korea, he has advised me on North Korean issues in my role as UN envoy."

Mr Annan's chief of staff said the secretary general had approved Mr Strong's withdrawal.

"Given the controversy, I think he's doing absolutely the right thing," said Mark Malloch Brown.

He said Mr Annan was considering a policy that part-time UN employees, as well as full-time ones, would have to disclose their finances.

Mr Strong said he would co-operate with the independent investigation into oil-for-food ordered by Mr Annan and headed by former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.