LONDON British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said on Saturday he had nothing to hide in a growing row over illegal arms supplies to the West African state of Sierra Leone. Cook, criticized by British newspapers for his handling of what has become a major embarrassment for the government, said no ministers had misled parliament over the affair a grave offence normally deemed worthy of resignation.

There was no misleading of parliament, Cook told reporters. I have nothing to hide and I am determined there will be no hiding place for the facts. Cook pledged an independent inquiry after the private security company at the centre of the storm, Military Consultants Sandline International, on Friday published full details of its meetings with Foreign Office officials. Nobody anywhere has found any evidence to suggest ministerial involvement, Cook said.

But his officials were accused of failing to inform ministers about Sandline's involvement in plans to ship arms to the Nigerian-led force trying to oust the military junta that seized power in Sierra Leone in May last year. The arms shipment breached an embargo on arms sales to the country which the United Nations imposed after the coup. The junta was finally ejected last February. (Reuter)