The CBI on Wednesday maintained that the agency will not file any review petition challenging the order of a Delhi court related to more than two-decade-old Bofors payoff case in the wake of claims made by former Swedish police officer Sten Lindstrom in an interview.
Sources said, “The agency conducted a comprehensive probe in the matter and filed its chargesheet in the case. The agency is not going to have a re-look in the case”.
Reacting to the allegations of Mr Lindstrom, who had headed the probe in Sweden, that the CBI did not attempt to meet him, sources said, “The agency does not prcoure information from foreign investigators directly through personal meetings. The proper channel of getting probe details is ‘judicial request’ which was sent to Sweden in connection with the case”. All relevant information was sought from authorities concerned in Sweden through “Letter of Request (LR), issued by Indian courts, which were complied by them,” sources added.
As far as allegations of protecting Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, who is alleged to have received payoff in the case, is concerned, sources maintained that the agency had tried its best to extradite him and even gone to Malayasia and Argentina for the purpose but could not succeed.
“Last year in March, a Delhi court had allowed a CBI plea seeking withdrawal of prosecution against elusive Quattrocchi in the two-decade-old Bofors payoff case. Now, the agency is not going to have a re-look in the case,” sources added.
Earlier, the Delhi high court on February 4, 2004 had quashed all charges under Prevention of Corruption Act and bribery against Hinduja brothers — S.P. Hinduja, G.P. Hinduja and P.P. Hinduja.
On the allegations that the name of a private person was planted by the agency officials in media, sources said, “Since name of the private person was neither part of FIR nor chargesheet, there was no question of giving any such information to media.”