Samir Sumaidaie, Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, accused the international body on Friday of “bending over backwards” to help Saddam Hussein's regime during the establishment of Iraq's oil-for-food programme, and said he had “serious questions” about the role played by the former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

His comments came the day after a UN-appointed independent inquiry suggested Mr Boutros-Ghali took a “political” approach in the choice of Banque Nationale de Paris to hold the programme's escrow account. BNP did not meet US Treasury criteria.