Agents were not barred in Bofors deal: CBI

COURT-QUATTROCCHI-AGENTS


New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) Saturday justified its decision to close the case
against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi in the Bofors
gun deal by telling a Delhi court that employment of agents
was not prohibited when Indian Government signed the deal with
the Swedish company in 1986.

Among five reasons given to the court for withdrawal
of case against Quattrocchi, the agency maintained that there
was no provision barring employment of agents in the contract.

"Even though there is an undertaking by M/s A B Bofors
prior to entering into contract that they do not have any
representative/agent specially employed in India, I notice
that the original contract between the company and the
government does not provide for any prohibition for employment
or non-employment of Indian and foreign agents," Additional
Solicitor General P P Malhotra said in the application.

The 69-year-old businessman is the sole accused
remaining in the case after the Delhi High Court had quashed
charges against other accused five years back. MORE PTI ATP
SDE


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