Editing Oil-for-Food Programme (section)

===Criminal investigation in France===
The French criminal justice system is investigating the alleged involvement of two former officials from the [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)|French Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], Jean-Bernard Mérimée and Serge Boidevaix. The two are accused of having used their extensive network of connections in the Arab world in order to commit "influence peddling" and "corruption of foreign public agents". They have been put under formal criminal investigation by [[investigating magistrate]] [[Philippe Courroye]], a famous specialist in cases of corruption and other financial dealings. Both men had retired at the time of the alleged crimes and acted in their personal capacity, not as official envoys of the French government; however, Boidevaix claims that he kept the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed of his actions in Iraq. The Ministry claims to have warned both men formally in 2001 (during the administration of [[Lionel Jospin]]).

Some other people, including [[Bernard Guillet]], an aide to French senator [[Charles Pasqua]], are also under formal investigation. Guillet and Pasqua deny any wrongdoing.