BAGHDAD, Aug 8 (AFP) - Prominent Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi, a former Pentagon protege, told CNN television Sunday he would return to Iraq to respond to fraud charges following the issuing of an arrest warrant against him.
Chalabi, currently in Tehran, said he had learned only from the press that an arrest warrant had been issued in Baghdad.
"I knew of it through the press, they didn`t inform my lawyer or office," he told the cable network. "I will return to face these accusations, I will go to court."
Chalabi, a former member of the Iraqi interim Governing Council, described the allegation as outrageous and "manufactured lies."
Chalabi, who heads Iraq`s National Congress Party, was a protege of US Vice President Dick Cheney and Pentagon hawks, but fell into disfavour in Washington. It was reported that senior US officials had alleged he was passing classified US intelligence to Iran.
An arrest warrant has also been issued in Baghdad against Chalabi`s nephew, Salem Chalabi, for alleged involvement in the killing of a senior Iraqi finance official.
Salem Chalabi is head of Iraq`s special tribunal which is trying ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
Currently in London, the nephew likewise told CNN he would return to Iraq to defend himself. He described the accusation and arrest warrant as ridiculous.
Ahmed Chalabi and his party were accused of providing false information on Saddam Hussein`s alleged weapons of mass destruction ahead of last year`s invasion of Iraq.
A Baghdad investigating magistrate, Zuhair al-Maliky, told US-based Arabic-language Sawa radio he had issued the two warrants.
He said Ahmed Chalabi is accused of putting forged money into circulation and the nephew of implication in the killing of Haitham Fadel, director-general of the Iraqi finance ministry.
The judge had ordered their arrest, interrogation and prosecution if there was sufficient evidence for indictments.
In 1992, a Jordanian court sentenced Ahmed Chalabi to 22 years in prison for fraud and embezzling 288 million dollars from Petra Bank, which he founded and ran until its collapse in 1989, and moving the funds into Swiss accounts.
The bank`s collapse was a heavy blow to Jordan`s government, which was forced to pay more than 400 million dollars in compensation to clients.
Chalabi has long defended his innocence and accused Saddam Hussein of using his influence in Jordan and good relations with former King Hussein to trump up the charges.