NEW DELHI: Eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani has urged the government to have Soam Proggeri executive Qitavio Quattrochi and family members of the late Rajiv Gandhi interrogated by the police in view of the latest Bofors revelations.

Ina statement here Jethmalani said that the Bofors investigations which had been deliberately neglected should be handed over to those honest officers who had been replaced in the course of the probe “to save powerful culprits.”

Reacting to the Indian Express report on Quattrochi is role in the kick-back scandal Jethmalani hoped that the “long suppressed truth about the Bofors deal” would come out. He said that while CBI had miserably failed in probing the scandal the Press was unearthing the truth the lawyer said that Quattrochi could not have received the money for himself.” He was and is a nominee of the late Prime Minister and of 10 Janpath” Jethmalani said.

Mr. Q” is now connected by irrefutable evidence with AE Services Lid (U.K.). This company boldly contracted with Bofors that its commission would [be payable only if the contact was awarded before the end of March1986. And so it was   week before the stipulated date circumstance which shows the confidence and conclusively out of the company’s owner. He should be either the Final Voice” in India or his nominee” said Jethmalani

He said at a time when N.K. Singh the investigating officer ad brought the St .Kits forgery to a crucial stage he was transferred by __the Chandrasekhar government. “The investigation had ordered in on God man Chandraswami and his cronies but his clout with Chandra Shekhar did the trick” the lawyer said.

Jethmalani recalled that Narasimha Rao the then foreign minister had told the “Indian Express” editor Prathu Chawla that “what he did in the ST.KITTS affairs was at the behest of his| leader”. He accused the Narasimha Rao Government of participating “in last desperate effort to stifle the identity of the culprits. Foreign Minister Solanki is not the only one involved. In normal circumstances he would be arrested and interrogated. The net of the interrogators should logically cover 10 Janpath and many others masquerading as innocent and respectably citizens.” he said.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 24, 1992