CBI trying to make Chadha approver

CBI trying to make Chadha approver
BHAVNA VIJ

NEW DELHI, MARCH 18: With the arrival of Win Chadha from Dubai, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is trying to make him an approver in the decade-and-a-half-old Rs 64 crore Bofors payoff case to help them wrap it up quickly.

His appearance in the court on March 21 will be the first step for commencement of the trial of one of the most controversial and politically sensitive cases in the recent past. ``The arrival of Win Chadha, one of the main accused, is extremely significant for the case. The trial can finally begin after so many years of painstaking investigations,'' an official investigating the case said.

Chadha, former Bofors agent and alleged recipient of kickbacks in the Rs 1,437 crore gun deal, is expected to be in India for quite some time, virtually in judicial custody. Sources close to the Dubai-based businessman, however, said he was not likely to turn approver since that would amount to admitting guilt even before the trial had begun.

Among the main accused in the Bofors kickbacks case were former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, the Hindujas and Martin Ardbo, president of Sweden's A B Bofors.

Bhatnagar was the only accused who was appearing in court. The court was waiting for Chadha to begin the trial since the CBI had been aggressively trying to get him to India to make an appearance. The CBI has also been trying to get Quattrocchi and the Hindujas to India to appear as accused in court.

``Where Quattrocchi is concerned, we are pursuing it through the Ministry of External Affairs to get him from Malaysia. The Hindujas have refused to come and have said that they are willing to be questioned by the CBI but only in London. So probably, a team will go from here to question them,'' the CBI official said. A CBI team had also gone to Malaysia three months ago and had requested the Malaysian Government to cooperate.