February 15, 2001. Copyright 2001. Graphic News. All rights reserved.

BILL CLINTON FACES CRIMINAL INQUIRY OVER PARDON

LONDON, February 15, Graphic News: FORMER president Bill Clinton continues to hog the limelight as Federal prosecutors in the United States announce that they are to conduct a criminal investigation into the pardoning of a fugitive billionaire businessman in the final hours of his presidency.

The U.S. Attorney in New York, Mary Jo White, says she will attempt to discover whether there was an illegal transfer of money to obtain the pardon. 

Two congressional committees are already conducting inquiries into the pardoning of the businessman, Marc Rich, who fled to Switzerland 17 years ago while facing more than 50 charges of evading $48 million tax, fraud, and participating in illegal oil trading with a long-standing U.S. enemy, the late Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, during the 1979-81 hostage crisis.

Ms. White is expected to examine bank records, telephone records and other documents to determine whether there was anything criminal in Mr ClintonÕs decision to grant Mr Rich a pardon. She is said to have been incensed by the pardon, about which she was not consulted -- even though her office brought the initial criminal case against Rich in 1983. 

The smell surrounding ClintonÕs last-minute pardon has grown stronger since it was first revealed that Denise Rich, RichÕs ex-wife, had been a big donor to the Democratic Party.

Ms. Rich, who donated $1.5 million to the Democrats and $450,000 to the Clinton library foundation, as well as a pair of coffee tables and chairs -- valued at more than $7,000 -- to the Clintons, has refused to answer questions from a House of Representatives panel, citing her constitutional right against self-incrimination. 

Republicans suspect that Belgian-born Rich, now living in Switzerland, has been behind the donations.

The pardon for Rich and his former business partner Pincus ÒPinkyÓ Green was one of 141 signed by President Clinton on his final day in office.

Legal experts are divided over whether the United States constitution allows Congress to pursue an impeachment case -- either over a presidentÕs use of his pardon power or against a president who has left office.
/ENDS
Sources: Reuters, Wall Street Journal