Anti-war politician George Galloway is facing a third day of newspaper allegations about his links with Saddam Hussein.
Claims that Galloway took at least 375,000 pounds a year in pay-offs from the Iraqi government have been dismissed by the left-wing parliamentarian as "absolutely ludicrous".
But the Daily Telegraphreturned to the attack today, saying Saddam tried to protect Galloway from the potential scandal of being linked to the Iraqi intelligence agency.
The paper bases its allegations on documents it says were found by one of its reporters in the looted Iraqi Foreign Ministry building in Baghdad.
On Thursday, it claimed that an official letter from Saddam Hussein's deputy in his ruling Baath Party's Revolutionary Command Council showed the government wanted to shield Mr Galloway from "damage" over the alleged links.
Mr Galloway, who has said he is suing the Daily Telegraphfor libel, launched his latest counter-attack with an article in the left-wing magazine Tribune.
Denying claims that he had received money from the former Iraqi government, he wrote: "This is a lie of fantastic proportions which is now the subject of a legal action for libel.
"For the record I have never personally benefited from my work on Iraq. On the contrary I have given my political life's blood to my fight for Iraq's people".
The Scottish legislator has been dubbed MP for Baghdad Central for his opposition to the Iraq war. He met Saddam Hussein in Baghdad last year.