A U.S. congressional leader on Thursday accused BP of a "lack of integrity" in how it characterized its capacity to safely drill for oil at great depth in the Gulf of Mexico.

"It is clear that there was a lack of integrity on the part of BP when it came to what it told us about the adequacy of their technology, the sufficiency of blowout prevention and the capacity to clean up," U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, told reporters at the White House.

Asked if BP should suspend its dividend to ensure that compensation is paid to Gulf oil spill victims, she said: "Yes of course, and that would be their best public relations."

Reuters