Houston firm was 'puppeteer' in oil-for-food scam, investigators say

HoustonChronicle.com - Panel says BayOil key in Saddam scheme: "Houston's BayOil (USA) was the 'puppeteer' in a scheme to help Russian politicians profit illegally from the United Nations' oil-for-food program and pay kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime, Senate investigators say.

The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations contends the trading firm, led by Houston's David Chalmers Jr., played a key role in helping Saddam curry favor with Russian leaders. At the time, Saddam was trying to win friends on the U.N. Security Council."