NEW DELHI, 11 October 2006 — Federal police have slapped corruption charges against former Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes and a retired naval chief in a multimillion dollar arms deal with a state-run Israeli firm, officials said yesterday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also charged Jaya Jeitley, leader of the opposition Samata (Equality) Party with accepting 20 million rupees ($445,000) to clinch the 11.5-billion-rupee deal for seven Barak anti-ship missiles from the Israeli firm.
“Besides Fernandes, Jaitley and former navy chief Adm. Sushil Kumar, we have also charged Samata Party treasurer R.K. Jain and a defense agent with corruption and criminal conspiracy,” a senior CBI official told AFP.
“Fernandes not only approved the proposal but tried to get it approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security,” the CBI charge sheet said. It said retired Adm. Kumar, prodded by middlemen, strongly lobbied for the purchase of the missiles from the Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd for which a contract was signed in October 2000.
The charges were leveled as the CBI raided the homes and offices of defense agents in five cities in connection with four separate cases of alleged illegal payoffs involving Israel, Russia and South Africa.
