'Q' issue: 'MEA extending full cooperation to CBI'

Dismissing Central Bureau of Investigation's statement that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Argentina did not inform it of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi's release on bail, the ministry on Friday said it was extending full cooperation to the agency in Argentina.

"It is unfortunate. I cannot react to the media reports," Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said when asked about CBI's affidavit in the Supreme Court on the issue.

"Our ambassador has been going around with them (the CBI team)," Sharma said.

"We have a very limited role. We are only the facilitators. Our mission abroad is extending full cooperation to CBI," he said.

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday, the investigating agency said that it was not aware of the bail plea of Quattrocchi in Argentina after his detention, as neither the Indian Embassy in Buenous Aires nor the External Affairs Ministry apprised it about the development.

"CBI did not receive any information whatsoever about the bail matter of Quattrocchi either from the Indian Embassy in Buenos Aires or the Ministry of External Affairs or from Interpol," it said.

The agency claimed that it came to know on February 26 that on February 23 Quattrocchi was released on bail.