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INTERVIEW:
QUATTROCCHI
"Rajiv
and Sonia were my friends"
Principal
correspondent Sayantan Chakravarty tracked
down Ottavio Quattrocchi shortly after his release on bail and spoke to
him on the telephone at his Kuala Lumpur residence. Excerpts:
 Q:
So finally they are closing in on you?
A:
All this is nothing but politically motivated.
Q: But
the CBI has provided hard evidence to the Malaysian authorities ...
A:
Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi were my friends and that friendship has been exploited
by the Government for its own benefit.
Q: Some
say you were the one who exploited the friendship.
A:
No. I am proud of the friendship. I have great regard for them.
Q: How
are you feeling now?
A:
Oh, I am very relaxed. Why shouldn't I be? After all I haven't done anything
wrong.
Q: Will
you appeal against the extradition proceedings initiated against you?
A:
We will see. Let me see how things move in the courts.
Q: But
you wouldn't consider coming to India on your own ...
A:
At one time I wanted to but was advised against it by my legal adviser.
He said it would be the biggest blunder of my life.
Q: Are
you scared of India?
A:
Actually it's the system. Otherwise I love the country. We have friends
in India. I and my wife had four kids on your soil.
Q: You
say you are innocent, yet you moved the AE Services funds to so many countries
...
A:
It is not kickback money. There is no evidence that I received the money
from Bofors.
Q: The
Malaysian police arrested you. Are they convinced that you are at fault
...
A:
The Malaysians, like the Indians, are friendly people. They are doing
this at the behest of the Indian Government. Let them. I have nothing
to worry about.
Ageing and
frail Win Chadha now faces trial in Delhi. For over a decade the former
Bofors agent was holed up in Dubai evading several summons from the Indian
authorities but in March he was pressurised to return. He is now out on
bail. A chargesheet was filed against the three Hinduja brothers in October
last by the CBI. Summons have now been served to them to present themselves
for hearings in the trial in January. In the past the brothers have not
heeded summons.
KICKBACK
TRAIL
Sep 3, 1986:
AB Bofors remits US $7.3m into AE Services a/c No. 18051-53 in Nordfinanz
Bank, Zurich.
Sep 16,
1986: AE Services transfers US $7m to Colbar Investments a/c No. 254.561.60
W with Union Bank of Switzerland, Geneva.
July 25,
1988: US $7.9m moved from Colbar to a/c No. 488.320.60X of Wetelsen Overseas
SA, in UBS, Geneva.
May 21,
1990: US $9.2m moved from Wetelson to a/c No. 123983 of IIDCL, Ansbacher,
St. Peter Port, Guernsey (Channel Islands).
June 5,
1990: US $2.4m moved from IIDCL to code-named a/c Arabica (No.0992-01089/00)
in Credit Anstalt Bank, Linz, Austria. Account operated by Egyptian Mounir
Ahmed Wahba, Quattrocchi's front man.
June 12,
1990: US $2.4m channelled into code-named a/c Robusta in Banque Karfinco
SA from Swiss Bank Corp, New York.
June 12
1990: US $5.3m credited to code-named Arabica, Robusta, Luxor accounts
in Austria from Swiss Bank accounts in Geneva.
*AE Services,
Colbar, Wetelson accounts controlled by Ottavio Quattrocchi and his wife
Maria.
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