Quattrocchi heads for Italy, questions CBIs motive

Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, accused in the Bofors kickback case, today left for his home in Milan in Italy from Argentina, where he was detained on February 6 on the basis of an 1997 Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued against him.

New Delhi, Aug 15 : Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, accused in the Bofors kickback case, today left for his home in Milan in Italy from Argentina, where he was detained on February 6 on the basis of an 1997 Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued against him.

He boarded a flight from Buenos Aires today after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to extradite him and it could not successfully appeal against a local court verdict, which had dismissed the agency's request on June 8.

Before departing, Quattrocchi told a private news channel, Times Now, of being victimised by the CBI.

"Some elements in the CBI were pushed to go after me. I was in India till 1993, no one interrogated me or asked me any questions. I was never invited even for a discussion," he told the news channel.

He alleged that the CBI is targeting his "many friends in India" through him.

"I am the means to reach somebody, either a politician or a industrialist. Their aim is to reach one of them and not Ottavio Quattrocchi," he added.

Meanwhile, Congress party here today said that all legal actions should be invoked against the Italian businessman.

Stating that the party had nothing to do with his release, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said: "All legal processes (against Quattrocchi) which are available should be invoked and enforced" since the issue is a "favourite whipping stick" for the opposition parties.

On June 15, an Argentine lower court rejected CBI's appeal for the controversial businessman's extradition stating that the agency's request was not backed by ample judicial documents.

The El Dorado court in its 'detailed order' stated that India had to lose its case against Quattrocchi because it did not get "fresh arrest warrant" against him.

The court, which declared Quattrocchi's detention as illegal, raised questions about the 1997 Interpol's Red Corner Notice against him, which apparently was not valid in the absence of an arrest warrant.

Earlier, the court asked the CBI to pay Quattrocchi's legal fees in Argentina. As per Argentinean law, such orders are issued if judge believes that the defendant did not have a case to answer.

On December 13, 2002, India failed to obtain Quattrocchi's extradition from Malaysia after a court there dismissed India's plea due to insufficient evidence.

Quattrocchi is accused of cheating the Indian exchequer while brokering a deal for the purchase of Swedish-made Bofors field guns in 1987.

The then Rajiv Gandhi Government had signed the Rs 1,437 crore deal with AB Bofors in March 1986 for the supply of 400 Howitzer field guns for the Army on the condition that the parties would engage no middlemen.

After obtaining the contract, AB Bofors had alleged that it had paid a commission of Swedish Croner 50.46 million to Quattrocchi through arms supply agent AE Services Ltd.

ANI