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    New Delhi: Otavvio Quatrocchi, the alleged beneficiary in the Rs 64 crores (300 million USD) Bofors kickback, has withdrawn all his money from the two bank accounts whose de-freezing orders were passed by a High Court in London.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 The money was withdrawn on January 13.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said if defreezing of the accounts has already taken place, necessary steps should be taken to ensure that money is not withdrawn. The information received is that the money has already been withdrawn.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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