NEW DELHI: India may be reviving the investigation into the scandal surrounding the purchase of 155mm field artillery guns from Sweden during the Congress government of Rajiv Gandhi in the late 1980s after sending a judicial request to the United States for vital information in connection with the Rs 64-crore Bofors case.
According to sources who spoke, the US Justice Department received a letter rogatory from the Central Bureau of Investigation a few days ago, which was issued by a special court. In relation to the kickbacks that Swedish arms manufacturer A B Bofors allegedly paid to secure the order for 400 howitzers from India, the agency has requested case details from Michael Hershman, the head of the US-based private detective firm Fairfax.
Hershman had stated in 2017 that then-prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was “furious” after discovering a Swiss bank account called “Mont Blanc” that was purportedly used to store the bribe money from Bofors. Hershman also said that his investigation had been sabotaged by the government at the time.
In October, the agency first went to the Delhi court to tell it that they intended to ask the US authorities for specifics. Hershman, who became well-known in political circles due to his role in the Bofors case, agreed to work with Indian agencies, which prompted the action.
A letter rogatory is a formal written request made by a court in one nation to a court in another, seeking assistance in the collection of evidence or in facilitating the investigation and prosecution of a criminal matter. The Bofors scandal, brought to light by Swedish radio, significantly contributed to Rajiv Gandhi’s loss in the 1989 elections. Although the Delhi High Court dismissed the bribery allegations against the former Prime Minister in 2004, inquiries related to the scandal have persisted. These inquiries focus on the involvement of Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian businessman who wielded considerable influence during the Rajiv Gandhi administration, particularly regarding his departure to Malaysia while under investigation. Additionally, there is scrutiny surrounding a letter delivered in 1992 by Madhavsinh Solanki, the foreign minister at the time, to his Swiss counterpart, urging a cautious approach to New Delhi’s request for information concerning the case. Interest in Quattrocchi, who had a notably successful tenure as the representative of the Italian fertilizer company Snamprogetti, was rekindled when the UPA government opted not to challenge the release of millions of dollars held in one of his UK bank accounts. In 1987, the Swedish public broadcaster shocked both India and Sweden by revealing the payment of bribes related to the Howitzer deal. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated the case in 1990 and subsequently filed charges in 1999 and 2000. Following the discharge of Rajiv Gandhi, a special court dismissed all charges against the other accused, including the Hinduja brothers. Quattrocchi was also discharged in 2011 when a court granted the CBI’s request to withdraw the prosecution against him.
