Most of the kickbacks were transferred to the Iraqi government through secret bank accounts in Jordan and Lebanon, from which "trusted Oil Ministry employees" withdrew an estimated US$2 billion, the report said. They hand-delivered the cash to Baghdad.
An additional US$750 million was recovered in the accounts after the war and returned to Iraq.
The report alleges Iraqi embassies in Moscow, Hanoi, Ankara and Bern were also used to collect kickbacks from the oil companies, with the money shipped back to Iraq in diplomatic pouches.
The Iraqis exploited deals for importing goods in a similar manner.
Elaborate methods were used to hide the secret accounts in Jordan and Lebanon.
Temporary accounts set up under false names by Iraqi ministries were used for initial transactions before money was spirited into accounts held by the Central Bank of Iraq at the same banks.
Once the money returned to Baghdad, the government had a standard scheme for dividing the spoils.
The government routinely allocated 5 percent to 10 percent of the kickbacks to the ministries, which then distributed the money to bureaucrats to encourage them to continue soliciting bribes.
Another Iraqi scheme involved signing deals with foreign companies for inferior or spoiled goods, while paying premium prices.
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