Two investigators quit oil-for-palaces probe...

They believe the interim report by Volcker was too soft on Annan:

Two senior investigators with the committee probing corruption in the UN oil-for-food program have resigned in protest, saying they believe a report that cleared Kofi Annan of meddling in the $64 billion operation was too soft on the secretary general, a panel member confirmed yesterday.

The investigators felt the Independent Inquiry Committee, led by former US Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, played down findings critical of Annan when it released an interim report in late March related to his son, said Mark Pieth, one of three leaders of the committee.

"You follow a trail, and you want to see people pick it up," Pieth said, referring to the two top investigators who left. The committee "told the story" that the investigators presented," but we made different conclusions than they would have."

The investigators were identified as Robert Parton and Miranda Duncan. Parton was the lead investigator on issues pertaining to allegations of impropriety relating to the secretary-general and his son Kojo Annan. Duncan worked on Parton's team.

There are no comments from the investigators who have quit.