The Hindu : CBI defends handling of Quattrocchi extradition case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 03, 2002

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CBI defends handling of Quattrocchi extradition case

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI Dec. 2. On a day when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) suffered a setback in the 12-year-old Rs. 64 crore Bofors payoffs case with a Malaysian court rejecting its plea for extradition of the chargesheeted Italian businessman, Ottavio Quattrocchi, the agency today maintained that it had done "all that was necessary'' while pursuing the case.

"We have proceeded in the Bofors case as well, while seeking extradition of Mr. Quattrocchi after incorporating all evidence, oral, documentary and circumstantial. Even our request for Mr. Quattrocchi's extradition was critically examined by top authorities and officials in Malaysia,'' the CBI Director, P.C. Sharma, told The Hindu.

He said the Attorney-General's Chamber in Kuala Lumpur had "critically'' examined the CBI's request before recommending to the Home Ministry that the request was "genuine and backed by evidence.''

Mr. Sharma said the Red Corner alert notice of Interpol had still not been withdrawn against the Italian businessman but expressed fears that the accused might try to sneak out of Malaysia as his passport had also been returned by the court there.

He said Mr. Quattrocchi's plea against the extradition request had earlier been thrown out by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur and the Italian businessman had even been arrested and later granted bail.

He said that an appeal would be filed in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur against the order which described the CBI request as being "vague.''

The Bofors case was at a "crucial stage'' when the Special Court here had even passed an order on the framing of charges.

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