NEW DELHI, 25 February 2007 — A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced the detention in Argentina of Ottavio Quattrocchi, the Italian national accused in the Bofors case, the capital city is abuzz with speculations and questions regarding the case.
Explaining the 17-day time taken by the CBI to announce Quattrocchi’s detention, CBI Director Vijay Shankar said that the CBI had to verify his identity and translate documents, which were in Spanish, before disclosing the detention. Quattrocchi is wanted for his alleged role as a conduit in the Rs. 640 million Bofors gun scam.
Detained on Feb. 6 at the Iguazu International Airport, Quattrocchi was taken into preventive custody, CBI said. Quattrocchi was detained in response to an Interpol red corner notice A-44/2/1997 issued against him in 1997, the CBI said. CBI is coordinating with the External Affairs Ministry to ensure that Quattrocchi is not released by authorities there and is eventually extradited to India to stand trial in the Bofors payoff case.
India will have to make a strong case for Quattrocchi’s extradition from Argentina, the CBI said. He has earlier given the slip to India twice, once by fleeing the country and then in 2002 when a Malaysian court refused an extradition request by India.
To try and secure Quattrocchi’s extradition, the CBI is sending a team of officials. In view of the 30-day deadline, the CBI officers will be dispatched to Argentina “as and when required,” after forwarding an extradition request to Argentina through the External Affairs Ministry.
India does not have an extradition treaty with Argentina.
Sounding optimistic about securing the extradition, an official of the External Affairs Ministry said: “As long as the Argentinian authorities are convinced that the cases he is wanted for also constitute offenses in their country, it should suffice.”
Blaming the CBI for adopting a “lukewarm approach” favoring Quattrocchi, an application was moved in the Supreme Court yesterday demanding a status report from CBI on steps taken for his extradition. As prompt steps were required for his extradition, the application contended that withholding information about Quattrocchi’s detention by CBI amounted to contempt of court.
