The South Korean businessman Tongsun Park, has been sentenced to five years in prison for accepting at least $2 million to work on Iraq’s behalf to influence the UN oil-for-food program.
Park was sentenced by US District Judge Denny Chin for his conviction seven months ago on conspiracy charges. A jury had rejected his claims that he was a middleman representing the UN’s interests in relieving the pain of Iraqis under Saddam Hussein.
The judge called it a “harsh” sentence for a 71-year-old man in poor health but said it was reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances. “You acted out of greed, acted to profit out of what was supposed to be a humanitarian program,” the judge said.