Bofors gun deal papers in Delhi
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 19 — The last set of Swiss Bank documents related to alleged payoff in the $ 1.4 billion Bofors gun deal have finally been brought here today morning by a CBI team from the Swiss capital after a last minute attempt by appellants to transfer the papers to India had failed.

The papers, which are expected to throw further light on the 12-years-old Howitzer deal, were brought by a CBI team comprising the DIG, Mr Vivek Dubey and the SP, Mr O.P. Garhotra today morning. The CBI team had left for the Swiss capital on Friday to bring home the vital papers which were in the custody of the Indian Embassy in Berne.

The CBI is expected to take about two weeks to scrutinise the papers and depending upon what they reveal, additional chargesheets may be filed, sources pointed out.

Talking to newspersons here today, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs told reporters that on December 17, a day after the Swiss authorities handed over the documents in Berne to the Indian Embassy, “lawyers for the appellants mounted a number of challenges addressed to the Swiss authorities to prevent the transfer of these papers to India”.

He said that “in cooperation with Swiss authorities, it was arranged for these papers to be brought back to India safely”.

While the spokesman did not name the appellants but the name of the London-based Hindujas is being widely mentioned in this regard.

Though the Hindujas have admitted having dealings with the Bofors company but have categorically denied any involvement in the gun deal with India or the alleged payoffs.

The Swiss authorities had handed over the bank papers, containing the names of beneficiaries of the $ 40

million kickbacks in the 1986 deal, to the Indian Ambassador, Mr K.P. Balakrishnan on December 15.

Earlier, the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) had rejected an appeal to prevent the transfer of the documents to India saying that there was no merit in it and the appellants’ case was aimed at delaying CBI’s investigations in the case.

The first set of documents was brought in January 1997, by the former CBI Director, Mr Joginder Singh. After scrutinising the papers, the CBI had announced the names of five — Malaysia-based Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, his wife Maria, and Dubai-based Win Chadha his late wife Kanta — as beneficiaries of the payoffs.

The CBI Director, Mr R.K. Raghavan, has maintained that the investigating agency would take immediate action on the basis of the contents of the documents.

The government has ruled out disclosing the contents of the documents saying these could only be produced before a court of law as per an agreement with Switzerland.

The documents handed over till now would help establish whether the Swedish arms group, Bofors, had in 1986 bribed Indian politicians and civil servants to secure the award of the important contract.

The deal, signed on March 24, 1986, involved the acquisition of 410 Bofors 155 mm howitzers worth $ 1.4 billion. Part of the alleged kickback — more than $ 40 million is said to have passed through bank accounts in Zurich and Geneva.

In April 1987, a Swedish Radio broadcast claimed payment of kickback to senior Indian politicians and key defence figures to secure the gun deal.

The same month, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi denied in the Lok Sabha involvement of any middleman in the deal or payment of any commission.

Quattrocchi not to confess

NEW DELHI, Dec 19 (PTI) — Italian businessmen Ottavio Quattrocchi, charge-sheeted by the CBI in the Bofors pay-off case, today ruled out making any confessional statement.

In a signed statement, faxed from Kuala Lumpur, he said: "There is no question of any confession, as I have done nothing wrong.”