Quattrocchi
closes UK accounts
by Sudhakar
New
Delhi: Otavvio Quatrocchi, the alleged beneficiary in
the Rs 64 crores (300 million USD) Bofors kickback, has
withdrawn all his money from the two bank accounts whose
de-freezing orders were passed by a High Court in London.
According to the sources in the Crown Prosecution Services
the Court had passed the de-freezing orders of the two bank
accounts worth 3 million euros and 1 billion US dollars
on January 11. The money was withdrawn on January 13. Meanwhile,
the Supreme Court has served notices on the Central Government
and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) directing
them to take necessary steps to maintain status quo vis-a-vis
the London bank accounts of Quattrocchi.
A
bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal said if defreezing
of the accounts has already taken place, necessary steps
should be taken to ensure that money is not withdrawn. The
information received is that the money has already been
withdrawn. Advocate Agarwal in his petition had questioned
Centre s move in which it told the Crown Prosecution Service
(CPS), London, that the funds in the two frozen accounts
of Quattrocchi and the Bofors payoff case had no link. Agarwal
also had sought a direction from the court for Additional
Solicitor General B Dutta to produce letter/authority which
he had carried in person to the CPS. It had also questioned
Law Minister H R Bhardwaj as to how he was giving statements
to the media that there was no evidence against Quattrocchi
despite the fact that an Interpol Red Corner notice was
still valid. Earlier, the Additional Solicitor General,
B. Dutta had told the court that there was no evidence to
link the money in the two accounts held by Ottavio Quattrocchi
in BSI AG bank in London with the Bofors kickback.
The
Government of India too has now confirmed about the withdrawal
of money from the account number-5A51516L and 5A51516M in
BSI AG bank. Quattrocchi has an Interpol Red Corner
Notice pending against him. Ottavio Quattrocchi in a released
statement from Milan said that "I have full rights to get
my accounts de-freezed since I have won all my legal battles."
Breaking the silence, after a long time Quattrocchi also
said that he has "become a victim of a political campaign
against the Gandhi family and the case should be closed
for the sake of justice."
Meanwhile,
the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) stepped up its ante against
the Centre and Congress in particular on this issue reiterating
"that it was the handiwork of the ruling coalition to help
one of the main accused in Bofors kickbacks Ottavio Quattrocchi
to get back his illegal money." Prakash Javedkar, spokesperson
of BJP, told the reporters in New Delhi that since Quattrocchi
was closer to Sonia Gandhi, the de- freezing was done with
ease. Now the 200 million rupees, which is the property
of Indian people will be taken by Quattrocchi. It was just
an eye wash by the government." The de-freezing order by
the UK High court and reports of withdrawal of money came
at a time when Supreme Court today will be taking up a PIL
(Public Interest Litigation) seeking to stop the government's
move to defreeze Quattrocchi's London accounts. The locus
standing of such a move will now be in doubt. The political
controversy generated by the Bofors scam gained ground with
demand of resignation of the Union Law Minister, Hansraj
Bhardwaj on account of him giving a clean chit on de- freezing
request. State minister of Ministry of Personnel and Training,
Suresh Pachauri too have come under the shadow for allowing
Addiitional Solicitor General, B.Dutta to go to London and
put a request of de-freezing Quatrrocchis bank account.
Congress
denies influencing probe into Quattarochi's involvement
in Bofors
New
Delhi: The Congress party on Monday denied it was influencing
the probe on Ottavio Quattarocchi's involvement in the Bofors
arms kickbacks scandal even as the Supreme Court rapped
the government for de-freezing the London accounts of Italian
businessman. The Government has been in the eye of storm
since New Delhi gave the go ahead for de-freezing of Quattrocchi's
bank accounts in Britain, which has remained suspended since
2001. Law minister HR Bharadwaj had said that the British
government had been pressing for clear evidence against
the businessman as he had already won an extradition case
filed by India in a Malaysian court. But in a major setback
for the government, the Supreme Court acting on a plea stepped
in on Monday ordering New Delhi to stay the de-freezing
till the hearing scheduled for next week.
Congress
spokesman Anand Sharma said the party had nothing to be
embarrassed about, as the Central Bureau of Investigation,
which had said it found no evidence against Quattarocchi,
would do the explaining on its own. The Opposition BJP has
alleged the Congress led UPA government of working to protect
Quattrocchi, a charge termed as political slander by the
Congress top brass. "I don't think there is any question
of pressure or embarrassment. The Congress party does not
interfere in the function of any government department or
any government agency. And here when we are talking about
the Central Bureau of Investigation, all these issues which
are being raised by the BJP and Arun Jaitley are in furtherance
of a political agenda to misrepresent, distort and mislead,"
Sharma told reporters in New Delhi. "Yes, it always has
been a practice that the law ministry or the big law officers
come to the help of the CBI, be it the Solicitor General
or the Attorney General. The real issue, what actually transpired,
would be made public by them. But our stand on it has been
clear that the law should take its own course and all such
institutions should remain autonomous and take its own decisions,"
he added. Legal analysts have however, said it was unprecedented
for the Law Minister to instruct his law officer to convey
a decision on a case, which was being investigated by the
apex investigative agency of the country, which even for
administrative purposes did not come under his control.
India's biggest arms scandal ever, the Bofors bribery controversy
played a major role in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
losing elections in 1989. Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated
in 1991, was cleared posthumously of any involvement in
the 1.2 billion-dollar deal, which was signed when he was
the Prime Minister. The Delhi Court had in 2004, also acquitted
the London based Hinduja brothers of all charges in the
1986 sale of 155-mm howitzers to India's army by the Swedish
firm.
Prime Minister gives clean chit to Law minister
Guwahati:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today gave a clean chit
to the Union Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj saying that "neither
the freezing nor the unfreeezing (of the Quattaracchi`s
account) was done under governments orders." Speaking to
newspersons here, Singh put the entire onus on the CBI adding
that "action relating to both freezing and unfreezing of
these accounts have been taken at the level of the CBI in
consultation with law officials as per established procedures."
He went on to add that the controversy was bound to be created
about certain steps taken by CBI regarding the freezing
of Quattrocchis account. Denying charges of interference
in the agencys functioning, Singh said: "all steps in this
matter are in accordance with the established standard procedure.
The autonomy of the CBI will be preserved under this government
at all costs". Earlier, in the evening the CBI did not confirm
the UK High Courts decision of de-freezing Quatrrocchi
two accounts in the BSIG bank. The CBI also did not confirm
about the withdrawal of money from these accounts. Supreme
Court today issued notices to the Centre and the CBI on
the allegations of making requests of defreezing Quattrocchi's
accounts, but refused to make the Law Minister and Additional
Solicitor General B. Dutta as party to the case.
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