Oscar Wyatt, Former Coastal Corporation in Aruba Executive, Due in Court on Oil for Food Bribery Charges with Saddam Hussein Regime

Oscar Wyatt, the former owner of Coastal Corporation and the then Coastal refinery in Aruba goes on trial September 5, 2007 at federal court in Manhattan. Who knew the UN “oil for food” bribery scandals had roots in Aruba as well?

“Coastal Corp. (forms Coastal Petroleum NV),” Oil and Gas Journal, vol. 90, pp. 30, July 13, 1992. Coastal formed subsidiary company to market products from its Aruba refinery off the coast of Venezuela and to buy and sell products in international markets.

Oscar Wyatt is accused of paying millions of dollars in kickbacks to Iraq to win oil contracts and corrupting the United Nations oil for food program.

On the eve of Wyatt’s trial in the U.N. oil-for-food scandal, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin also allowed evidence that defense lawyers said unfairly suggested payments made by Wyatt to Iraq’s state oil marketing organization were bribes passed on to Saddam Hussein. (Washington Post)

The UN Oil for Food program had been nothing but a scam as it was supposed to let Iraq sell oil to buy civilian goods for its people living under U.N. sanctions. However, as many would later find out, the UN oil for food program was riddled with fraud, corruption and scandal. An intended humanitarian program instead turned into nothing more than a get rich quick scheme by Saddam Hussein pocketing billions.

It administered some $67 billion worth of oil, and U.S. and U.N. investigations have found that lobbyists, U.N. and Iraqi officials enriched themselves through kickbacks and bribery.

Wyatt’s former company, the Coastal Corporation, dealt in Iraqi oil and Wyatt had traveled a number of times to Iraq, meeting senior officials including Saddam. (Washington Post)

Amigoe, September 2, 2007: ORANJESTAD/NEW YORK Oscar Wyatt (83), former owner of Coastal Corporation and the then Coastal-refinery in Aruba will appear in court in Manhattan next week in connection with bribery the Sadam Hussein-regime in Iraq in exchange for oil-export contracts.  Also a document was found in which he informed Iraq of data and military force of the invasion of America in 2003.

A judge decided this week that this handwritten document can be admitted in court.  The trail starts on September 5th and the document can be shown to the jury.  Wyatt is not being tried for treason, but for bribery with million of Sadam’s dollars at the time of the so-called Oil-for Food program of the United Nations.

Wyatt from Houston, Texas reopened the refinery in Aruba in 1991 under the name Coastal El Paso Oil Refinery Company.  The Lago-refinery (Exxon) closed her doors in Aruba in 1985.  Wyatt’s Coastal sold the refinery to Valero Oil Corporation in March of 2004.  Oscar Wyatt has always maintained good ties with the then and current premier of Aruba, nelson Oduber (MEP). He also had close contacts with other (former)-politicians, like former Justice-minister Hendrik Croes (MEP) and also former minister Glenbert Croes (OLA).  Wyatt is also father-in-law of the current State Secretary of Aruba, Mervin Wyatt-Ras (MEP).