Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has denied involvement in former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's oil scam, according to a Bernama report filed from Hanoi today.

"I have no deal or share (in the matter). I don't know how my name was implicated," he told Malaysian journalists in the Vietnamese capital where he is currently attending the Asia Europe Meeting (Asem) summit.

The prime minister was asked to comment on a malaysiakini report that several Malaysians, including one 'Abdullah Badawi', had gained illegal financial benefit from an illicit deal involving the United Nations-administered oil-for-food programme some years ago.

The news report, which quoted the United States Iraq Survey Group (ISG) report , said that this 'Abdullah Badawi' was one of hundreds of individuals, firms and governments that Saddam had bribed in an effort to undermine UN sanctions imposed against Iraq.

Abdullah was also quoted in the Bernama report as saying that some Malaysian businessmen were involved in the oil-for-food programme which was managed legally by the United Nations and the former Iraqi government.

He said businessmen from other countries also participated in the programme apart from Malaysian businessmen.

Support bids of businessmen

"Some Malaysian businessmen interested in the programme had asked me to write letters to the former Iraqi government supporting their bid for roles in the programme. I don't know what happened to their bids after that," the prime minister explained.

In the scam, Saddam gave oil vouchers to these entities in return for a minimum of 10 cent per barrel "surcharge" which was prohibited under the programme.

'Abdullah Badawi' was alleged to have been given vouchers in 2000 to sell two million barrels of Iraqi oil where the estimated profit could be as high as US65 cents per barrel.

'Abdullah Badawi', through a company called Tradeyear, had sold 1,949,900 barrels, possibly making a tidy profit of as much as US$1.3 million

The ISG report, which was presented to the US Congress on Wednesday, revealed that Saddam had amassed billion of dollars in illegal profits.

The report explained that the most lucrative exploitation of the programme involved kickbacks from companies conducting legal sales of oil.