The United Nations announced on Wednesday the first firing of a U.N. official in connection with the scandal-tainted oil-for-food program for Iraq. Veteran mid-level U.N. staffer Joseph Stephanides, accused of intervening to steer a lucrative contract under the oil-for-food program to a British firm, has been fired by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a U.N. spokesman said. Stephanides, who most recently served as an administrator for the Security Council, has denied any wrongdoing. He was informed of the decision on Tuesday and then dismissed, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, according to Reuters.
