NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will obtain appropriate orders from the Swiss-judicial authorities to enable examination of witnesses for a complete investigation into the alleged pay-offs in the Bofors gun deal.
According to an official spokesman, the CBI is taking action to file a letter rogatory in a Delhi Court to seek formal orders in writing requesting recording of testimony of witnesses residing abroad.
‘The spokesman said the government has decided that no further step shall be taken to operationalize the licensed production agreement for the 155 mm howitzers till the Bofors company furnished full details about the persons/parties to whom payments had been made by the company and arranged return of the entire amount,
This was decided by the cabinet committee on political affairs three days ago, the spokesman said.
Six Swiss bank accounts were last week frozen by the Geneva court in the wake of a request by CBI Director Rajendra Shekhar after filing the first information report in the Bofors case on January 22.
The FIR was named 14 accused. It has also alleged involvement of Indian public servants in the case.
The Bofors gun scandal hit the federal government last year when several national leaders and close associates of the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi were accused of involvement with a 44 million dollar kickback in a 1.3 billion dollar gun deal.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 16, 1990
