NEW DELHI: Ottavio Quattrocchi, the ‘controversial Italian friend of Rajiv and ‘Sonia Gandhi is also alleged to have been involved in the rackets being run by Surendra Kumar Jain, Jain, who seems to  have had almost all politicians and bureaucrats who matter on this payroll has named the Italian as his associate, ‘Quattrocchi, it might be recalled, skipped the country in the wake of the Bofors scandal and has been identified as a recipient/conduit for the Bofors kickbacks.

In a statement to the CBI: recorded on March 11, 1995, hawala racketeer ‘Surendra Kumar Jain listed in detail his association with Quattrocchi, The statement was recorded by M\P, Singh, Superintendent of Police in the CBI’s anti‘ Corruption unit at New Delhi.

Jain claimed in his statement to the CBI that Quattrocchi, who represented the Italian company Snam Progetti in India, acted 4s an influence peddler charging commissions from other multinationals desirous of doing business in India. Jain claims that he and Quattrocchi worked together on several occasions. He told the CBI that ‘Quattrocchi was ‘introduced to meat Delhi by Mr. Gemi who was the manager of ‘Onsaldo (Ansaldo), a government undertaking of Italy” at his residence at Friends Colony. Detailing his association with ‘Quattrocehi, Jain told the CBI of the following specific instances when they worked together to mutual benefit. The recorded statement of Surendra Kumar Jain misspells the name of Quattrocchi as Well as that of some companies but they are cagily identifiable.

In Jain’s own words: “In or around 1987, the contract of (sic) of Hydro Project of NHPG (National, Hydroelectric Power Corporation) at Dulhasti in Jammu and Kashmir. It was awarded to M/s Cegelac ‘company of France: and Mr. Quattrocehi had assisted Cegelac company to get this contract from NHPC.” At around the same time another hydroelectric power project at Uri was tendered. According to Jain,””M/s Scansks of ‘Sweden which was a consortium of several companies had also tendered for the same. ABB (Asia Brown Boveri) was also one of the companies in the said consortium, Mr. Bembourn, the Executive Vice President of ABB in India was known to me from before. He was introduced to me by Mr. Arun Nehru at the residence of Mr. Shivshankar, Minister, who was a close friend of mine, look Mr. introduced him to Mr. Quattrocchi,” Then Jain makes the startling disclosure that”*Mr. Quattrocchi worked aee middle man for getting the Uri contract awarded to Scanska and Dulhasti to Cegelac by ‘Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the (then) Prime Min The Dulhasti project was for about Rs. 800 crore and the Uri project for Rs.1200 to Rs.1300crore, according to Jain’s statement. Jain had himself wanted some erection and fabrication work worth about Rs.300 cr to Rs. 400 cr but claimed that because of militant activities in and around Uri, he decided to forego it and ABB did the work on its own. But Jain of course would not leave his commission for facilitating the contract in the first place, He ‘was to get three per cent while Quattrocehi was lo get seven per cent of the project cost as their cat.

‘And sure enough Iain got his share. Thus he told the CBI, “I had insisted upon Mr. Quattrocchy to give me the payments in Indian rupees in India and, therefore, he had brought one Amir Bhai to my office and had introduced him to me saying that he would make the payments to me in Indian rupees.” This is what Amir Bhai described by Jain as “five feet six inches in height, (of) medium built and medium complexion,” and as “a very close confidante of Mr. Quattrocchy,” seems to have done.

As for the commission Jain was to receive from Scanska, he told the CBI, “My share of the commission was settled at ‘about 18 to 19 million dollars as I can recall and Mr. Quattrocchy had transferred the said 18 to 19 million dollars in the account of Amir Bhai who was living in Bombay to be delivered to mein Indian rupees as and when | asked for the same.

And how and from where was ‘Quattrocchi paying Jain this commission? “Mr. Quattrocchy had a bank account in ABN Bank at Antwerp (Belgium) Geneva/Zurich in Switzerland and possibly Amir Bhai had also his bank accounts in the said banks. ‘The Jain hawala and bribe accounts a5 well as the black money were kept by his lose confidante, one S/K. Jain. The com: mission money from Quattrocchi was. Also deposited with him. Surendra Kumar Jain told the CBI,” Amir Bhai had been passing on the money to me through JK. Jain, Whenever Amir Bhai used to pay the money to J.K. Jain, he Used to tell him to account for the receipt against the secret heads *A.’*AB.” and *K,” [had been thus getting my share of the commission fi Indian rupees through Amir Bhai Bombay in the manner stated above.”

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 31, 1996