The Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has been testifying at an inquiry into claims that the country's monopoly wheat supplier AWB Ltd paid millions of dollars in bribes to the former Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. The bribes, which AWB denies, are alleged to have taken place under the UN's now discredited "oil for food" programme. Phil Mercer reports from Sydney.

Alexander Downer is the most senior government figure so far to give evidence to the judicial hearing. In a written statement to the inquiry, which was made public as he took the stand, Mr. Downer repeatedly denied having seen a series of warnings sent by diplomats about possible corruption at AWB. The hearing has previously been told that Australian embassy staff and trade officials began alerting ministers about the company's dealings in Iraq six years ago. Mr. Downer is Canberra's long-serving foreign minister. He held the position when more than $200 million in kickbacks were allegedly paid by AWB to Saddam Hussein.

澳大利亚外交部长亚历山大·唐纳在该国有关部门对澳洲小麦局的一项行贿指控的调查中出庭作证，该指控称澳洲小麦局曾向萨达姆领导的前伊拉克政府行贿上百万美元。这些行为据称是在目前已经声名扫地的联合国"石油换粮食计划"下发生的，澳洲
小麦局否认了这些指控。Phil Mercer从悉尼报道。

亚历山大·唐纳是目前在司法听证会上出庭作证的政府最高级别官员。唐纳向调查机构提交了书面声明，该声明在他出庭作证时公布于众。唐纳在声明中反复否认他曾看到外交官们向他发出的有关澳洲小麦局可能存在腐败行为的警告。在早先的听证会
上，有关证人证明澳大利亚大使馆人员和贸易官员六年前就开始提醒政府的部长们有关该公司在伊拉克的交易情况。唐纳是澳大利亚任期最长的外交部长。在他刚担任外交部长一职时，据称澳洲小麦局支付给萨达姆超过200万美元的回扣。