CBI doublespeak on Quattrocchi

The Central Bureau of Investigation wants to close the 22-year-old Bofors case against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi saying it can’t find him, but it won’t part with information about the case saying it will adversely affect his arrest and prosecution, reports Nagendar Sharma.

The Central Bureau of Investigation wants to close the 22-year-old Bofors case against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi saying it can’t find him, but it won’t part with information about the case saying it will adversely affect his arrest and prosecution.

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The investigating agency has declined to reveal any details related to Quattrocchi under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, saying “it would impede the process of apprehension and prosecution of the accused.”

The RTI application was moved by Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Agrawal, who is locked in a long drawn legal battle with the investigating agency and the government on the Bofors case.

Its lawyers told the Supreme Court on September 29 and the chief metropolitan magistrate on October 3 since “all efforts to extradite Quattrocchi had failed, as various courts the world over including those of Argentina and Malaysia, found no case against him, the agency wanted to close the case.”

The agency also said in its RTI: “As the criminal case against Quattrocchi is pending trial in the CMM Court, Delhi, and related petitions in the case are pending before (Delhi) High Court and Supreme Court, the documents and information asked for can neither be provided nor allowed to be inspected.”

The case is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court on January 22 and before the chief metropolitan magistrate on March 31.