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CBI hopeful of Quattrocchi's extradition from Malaysia

Onkar Singh in Delhi

The Central Bureau of Investigation is optimistic that the Malaysian government will now lend a helping hand in getting Ottavio Quattrocchi extradited to India. If the Italian businessman is extradited to India, he will be tried along with other accused in the Bofors payoffs case.

The optimism stems from the recent meeting that the CBI team had with Malaysia's attorney general during their recent visit to Kuala Lumpur. The team was led by P C Sharma, the Bureau's special director. Legal advisor S K Sharma also accompanied him there.

"The team was able to put forward our view point and explain to the attorney general of Malaysia why Quattrocchi's presence was necessary. Our team was satisfied with the meeting and are hopeful that with the Malaysian police's help, we will now be able to arrest Quattrocchi who is a key accused in the case," a CBI spokesman told rediff.com

He, however, denied knowledge of any offer about a confessional statement made by Quattrocchi to the agency. "We in the CBI are not aware of it," he said.

Win Chadha, another accused in the case whose company Svenska played a major role in transacting the Bofors deal, has promised to be present in court on Feburary 3 when the case next comes up for hearing. Since the Government of India cancelled the passports of Chadha and his son Hersh, they have now applied for fresh passports so that they can travel to India.

S M Khan, deputy principal information officer and the Bureau's spokesman, confirmed that the CBI had given a week to the three Hinduja brothers -- Srichand, Gopichand and Prakash -- to appear before O P Galhotra, superintendent of police, special investigation group. Galhotra had gone to Switzerland last month to bring back the documents pertaining to the alleged involvement of the Hinduja brothers in the Bofors case.

"Ever since the CBI registered the case in 1990, the Hindujas have been stalling the proceedings in the Swiss courts on one pretext or the other. Now that we have got the documents with us, we have asked them to appear before us. It is not correct that we are only interested in G P Hinduja. We have called all the three brothers to come and join the investigation," a senior CBI official said.

Though the Hindujas have consistently denied any role in the Bofors case, they waged many battles in the Swiss courts to stall the release of bank statements allegedly incriminating the brothers. The CBI was finally handed over the papers relating to the Pitco-Moresco payments on December 19.

Critics of the National Democratic Alliance government allege that the Hindujas will use their influence with the Vajpayee administration to put pressure on the CBI and browbeat investigating officers. However, government ministers do not agree with this charge. "Why should the government scuttle the probe at this stage? Home Minister L K Advani has already hinted that the papers relating to the Hindujas might be handed over to the CBI soon. This was before the papers arrived in India. Now that the papers are here, why should the government undo something that the agency had done? The CBI probe will not be allowed to be tampered by anyone," a senior government minister told rediff.com

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