Bofors papers can’t be tabled: Jaswant
TNS and Agencies

NEW DELHI Dec 17 — The External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, today ruled out disclosing the contents of the final set of Bofors documents in Parliament.

Responding to the special mention in the Rajya Sabha raised by CPM member Mohammad Salim, Mr Jaswant Singh said India was bound by an agreement with the Swiss Government not to disclose the contents anywhere except in a court of law. He also refuted suggestions that the government had delayed the receipt of the documents.

It was precisely because of the initiative of the government, particularly the Ministry of External Affairs, that the final set of documents had been received by the Indian Embassy in Switzerland, he said.

The agreement with Switzerland also stipulated that the documents would not be used for any “political vendetta”, he said.

To a demand for a status paper on the progress of the case, Mr Jaswant Singh said Parliament would be informed of the progress as and when such a need arose.

In his Special Mention, Mr Salim said the whole nation wanted to know who received kickbacks in the Bofors deal and suggested that Parliament be informed of the contents of the documents. He also alleged that there was delay in getting the documents because of the “enormous clout” enjoyed by those allegedly involved in the kickbacks.

“Some additional information has been obtained by the government by receipt of papers from Luxembourg also,” Mr Jaswant Singh said adding “these will be utilised in the due process of law.”

Refuting Mr Salim’s charge that the government was slow in getting the documents from Switzerland, he said “the insinuation or suggestion that the delay has been occasioned by some kind of inaction on the part of the government is unfair and unwarranted.”

Explaining the circumstances leading to the receipt of the documents, he said after the federal Court of Switzerland had rejected appeals for withholding the documents, some petitioners approached the government saying the documents should not be sent on the ground that it involved the security of Switzerland.

The ground had been officially rejected. The equivalent of the law ministry of Switzerland had stated that the entire exercise was undertaken “to delay the proceedings to thwart justice.”

On the demand that the government must give the status report in the Bofors case, Mr Jaswant Singh said it was not related to his ministry but he would inform the minister concerned.

Mr S. Duraiswamy (DMK), said the government should procure the money paid as kickbacks and deposit it back in the treasury.