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Parliament : Stalemate over Quattrocchi issue ends

	March 05, 2007

With the Government agreeing to have a structured debate on the Quattrocchi affair, the nearly week-long deadlock over the issue in both Houses of Parliament was broken on March 1. However, the two Houses faced stormy scenes on Friday also when the Samajwadi Party MPs raised the issue of the CBI probe into the alleged disproportionate assets of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.



The functioning of Parliament was disrupted during the earlier days with the opposition, especially the BJP-led NDA raising the issue of Government lapses in handling the extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi detained in Argentina on Feb. 6 on the basis of an Interpol Red Corner alert. Quattrocchi is one of the prime accused in the Bofors pay offs case and is wanted in India.



The Quattrocchi impasse was resolved only after the government conceded the opposition’s demand for simultaneous statements from the Prime Minister and leaders of Opposition in the two Houses.



Amid the opposition’s strident accusation of dragging his feet on the Bofors accused Quattrocchi’s detention and extradition, Dr Manmohan Singh told Parliament that the CBI had been given “full freedom” to pursue the case and that there would be no interference from the government. “We will not interfere in the functioning of CBI. Rule of law will prevail,” the PM said in his brief intervention in both Houses.



Dr Singh’s comments came after the Opposition leader in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh in the Rajya Sabha, contested the government’s claim that there was no extradition treaty between India and Argentina. They said the treaty reached during British rule was still valid and the government could invoke it to seek the fugitive Italian businessman’s extradition. They castigated the government for “concealing” information of Quattrocchi’s February 6 arrest in Argentina for 17 days.



“We have done no wrong,” Dr Singh, said claiming that “we have allowed and will allow the CBI to pursue the case with full freedom”. On members’ criticism of his Tuesday’s statement outside Parliament, Dr Singh clarified that it had not been a Press conference but comments that the reporters sought on election results as well as on the Quattrocchi affair. “It was not my intention in any way to hurt the sentiments of any member or sentiments of the opposition.... nor did I say anything that should give that sort of impression.”



“From day one we have made it clear that our government is ready for a well structured discussion on the issue as may be decided by floor managers with the approval of presiding officers,” the PM said.



Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Advani sought to know why the government did not inform the House and the Supreme Court about Quattrocchi’s arrest.



In the Rajya Sabha, Jaswant Singh said Quattrocchi had been charged with “malfeasance” by four successive courts of law in Switzerland. Rebutting the government’s assertion that there was no operational extradition treaty with Argentina, he said this would send strange signals to the government and courts in that country.



Jaswant Singh said Jawaharlal Nehru had supplied a list of countries in Parliament in 1956 with which India had extradition treaties in which, he added, Argentina stood second.



The NDA, however, toned down its aggressive position after it stalled both houses leading to repeated adjournments that paralysed parliamentary proceedings. A flurry of meetings involving the Prime Minister, leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P.R. Das Munshi, Advani, Jaswant Singh and others finally succeeded in resolving the impasse for the time being.



Earlier on Feb. 27, the Prime Minister told reporters outside Parliament House that his government has done no wrong on the Ottavio Quattrocchi matter, and was ready to discuss it in Parliament. He denied opposition charges that the Government had been suppressing information on the detention of Quattrocchi, wanted in India for his alleged role in the Bofors payoffs case, and dragging its feet over his extradition from Argentina.



“I solemnly affirm this government has done nothing wrong... The law of the land will be allowed to prevail,” the Prime Minister said.



Minister of State for Personnel Suresh Pachouri tabled a four-page report in both Houses on the steps the Centre had taken since India was informed about the detention. The report said the release of Quattrocchi on bail would not affect the extradition process.



“We have been informed on Feb. 26...at 7.43 p.m. that Quattrocchi has been released on bail from preventive detention...with the condition that he will not leave Argentina. This will have no bearing on the extradition proceedings....”, Pachouri said.



The report, however, failed to pacify the opposition, which disrupted proceedings in both Houses over the issue, demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation, and forcing adjournments.





Apex court unhappy over being kept in the dark



The Supreme Court has asked the CBI to explain the steps taken to extradite Qttavio Quattrocchi from Argentina to India to stand trial in the case. It was hearing on Feb. 26 an application by Advocate Ajay Aggarwal seeking directions to the Centre and the CBI to take immediate steps to bring back Quattrocchi. A bench headed by Justice C.K. Thakkar observed, “It is a very serious matter, and we hope that the Government is also serious.”



The Bench, which issued notices to the Centre, Ministry of

External Affairs and the CBI, made the remarks after Aggarwal alleged that the CBI had knowledge of Quattrocchi’s detention as early as on Feb. 7, but it kept the matter under wraps for “obvious” reasons.



Argentine authorities detained Quattrocchi on Feb. 6, following a red corner notice issued by Interpol at the behest of the CBI. Quattrocchi was charge-sheeted by the CBI in the Bofors case in October 1999, but his trial was separated from that of the other accused, as the investigating agency could not secure his presence.



Aggarwal, on whose plea the court had earlier last month asked the CBI to explain how the money frozen in a London account of Quattrocchi was released, alleged that the CBI had deliberately withheld the vital information from the court when it heard the case on Feb. 12.





Argentina requested to extradite Quattrocchi



India has formally requested the Argentine Government to extradite Ottavio Quattrocchi, the prime accused in the Bofors kickbacks case.



Buenos Aires is expected to give its reply in a week on whether India’s request is receivable.



The request was made at a meeting with officials and legal experts from the Argentine Foreign Ministry in Buenos Aires. The meeting took place on the afternoon of March 1, some five hours after the CBI team landed in the Argentine capital in pelting rain.



India was represented by CBI Director of Prosecutions S.K. Sharma and Superintendent of Police Keshav Mishra, accompanied by Indian Ambassador Pramathesh Rath. The CBI team handed over some 250 documents.



Mishra expressed satisfaction that the extradition request “has been made in a timely fashion, even ahead of schedule.” Quattrocchi was arrested on February 6 and according to Argentine law, India had exactly one month from the date of arrest to file an official extradition request.



Informed sources indicate that Italy has put strong pressure on the Argentine Government to obtain the release of Quattrocchi.