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Quattrocchi free man, leaves Argentina for Italy
The 69-year-old businessman left this country for his home in Milan in his native Italy.
Bofors accused Ottavio Quattrocchi on Tuesday walked free out of Argentina after a six- month legal battle following India's failure to appeal against a court's decision not to extradite him.
The 69-year-old businessman left this country for his home in Milan in his native Italy. His passport was returned by Argentinian authorities last week.
Speaking from the airport, Quattrocchi told PTI that he was happy to be on his way home and was looking forward to spending time with his family.
Information on the case has been closely guarded since the failure of the CBI's extradition attempt in Eldorado on June 8. Neither the CBI nor its Argentinian prosecutors Miguel Almeyra and Lilian Delgado got orders for appealing in the Supreme Court against the lower court's order not granting the Indian plea for Quattrocchi's extradition, sources said.
Indian Ambassador Pramanesh Rath said through a spokesperson that he would not like to comment on the issue.
Quattrocchi was detained at Iguazu airport in Argentina's Misiones province on February six on the basis of a Red
Corner Notice issued by Interpol at the behest of the CBI. His wife, who was with him in Argentina, had left for Italy three months ago.
The businessman, who had earlier successfully fought a similar extradition battle against Malaysian authorities, maintained that he has been "a victim of an obsessive persecution" by Indian investigative authorities.
