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CBI team leaves for Argentina New Delhi, February 28 The team comprising CBI director of prosecution S K Sharma and SP Keshav Mishra, who had been the investigating officer in charge in the case for over a decade, would reach Buenos Aires tomorrow and would take up the issue with the authorities concerned through diplomatic channels immediately, CBI spokesman said. In order to convince the authorities there on the possible question of evidence against the accused, the CBI had obtained a fresh arrest warrant against Quattrocchi from the special CBI court here on February 24, to present there for the purpose of his extradition. Since the air has been cleared about the existence of an extradition treaty with Argentina, the CBI hoped that it should not face hurdle on this account. “It has been learnt through the diplomatic channels that the Argentine authorities will take minimum 15 days to process the matter before any further action is taken,” the spokesman said. The matter would be heard by a federal court in the province of Misiones in which Iguazu international airport from where Quattrocchi was arrested on February 6 is located. He also said that on the request of CBI, the Argentina government has appointed Carlos Guilleremo Daneri as public prosecutor to plead the case of the Indian government for extradition of the fugitive as per the law of that country. But the CBI would have an option to engage another attorney of its choice, he said. Interestingly, CBI obtained the fresh arrest warrant against Quattrocchi from the special court here only a day after he had obtained the bail from the court there on February 23. Though the CBI counsel had on February 25 told the Supreme Court that the agency was getting moment by moment information from Argentine authorities on the issue but he had not disclosed to the apex court the grant of bail to Quattrocchi. Under the condition of bail, Quattrocchi had been directed by the court in Misioners not to leave Argentina. The mandatory deadline of 30 days for India to put its case before the court there would expire on March 7.
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Stockholm, February 28 “I do not think Quattrocchi will either be extradited to India or that Sweden has any interest in him,” Swedish weapons export observer Henrik Westander told IANS. “However, it is very interesting to see what detrimental effect it may have on the ongoing, nearly matured, sale of new Bofors howitzers to India.” Westander is the reputed whistleblower of the 319 million SEK bribes scandal surrounding the 1987 Bofors AB 155 mm howitzer sale to India and author of the awesome book, “The Story of Bribes and the Fall of Two Governments.” Quattrocchi, who was said to be the conduit for the Rs 640 million in bribes, allegedly paid for securing the order, was arrested in Argentina on February 6 and is now out on bail but is still in the country. New Delhi says it will seek his extradition from Argentina. “Bofors is at the most critical stage in their arduous year-long campaign to win the Indian mega order for their updated 400 SH77BO5 howitzers (worth $1.5 billion-Rs 60 billion). That also translates vitally into 1,000 new Swedish jobs,” Westander said. “This has been the scenario since (their South African competitor) Denel was thrown out of the race, early last year, leaving only the (Israeli) Soltan to challenge Bofors. Now a resurrected Quattrocchi may just rattle the precarious apple cart.” But Christer Heneback, director of information at the BAE Systems Bofors, thought differently. Heneback told IANS of the Indian Army’s trials of the howitzer: “We have fulfilled all the Indian demands to a 100 per cent. That is why we are confident of our good chances. We saw how the Israeli pieces foundered during earlier tests. “We have no reason at all to worry about Quattrocchi or anything connected with the Indo-Bofors AB deal in the past. BAE Systems Bofors is a completely new company with no connection whatsoever with Bofors AB,” Heneback maintained. — IANS
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