New Delhi: In an interview of Chief Swedish investigator probing Bofors case since 1989, Sten Lindstrom, telecast on CNN-IBN on Thursday, Lindstorm made a startling admission.
Lindstrom has indicated that the CBI was not serious about the investigation.
The CBI had met him for just 20 minutes in the last 20 years has put the CBI on the defensive.
The then CBI chief Joginder Singh has defended the lack of action by saying, “A request had been made to the government allowing us to work with the Swedish authorities for the case. It was however, decided that since they were setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee, there was no need for us to carry on an independent investigation. In fact CBI was not allowed to investigate the case till the government changed hands.”
Lindstorm in the interview has said that money from Bofors deal was paid to persons linked to the Gandhi family. He said that Italian middleman Ottavio Quattrocchi got money only because he was close to the Gandhis and the BJP quickly latched on to the new twist in the Bofors saga.
“What has widely been apprehended has only been confirmed. Q has direct links with the Gandhi family,” said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The Bofors issue has also come back to haunt the Congress party yet again and their spokesperson was looking for an escape route.
“One should not overreact to stale allegations of a retired Swedish Investigator. Nothing is going to impact the Congress other than the facts. There is no need to create any hullabaloo,” said Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
The interview however, has also come as a great relief for the Congress, whose top leadership has been dogged by the Bofors controversy for 20 years now.
Lindstrom gave a clean chit to the Gandhis themselves; well, almost. He said that there is no conclusive evidence directly against the Gandhis.
“There was a connection to Quattrocchi, but nothing further,” said Lindstrom.
Since the time the CBI began to investigate the Bofors scam, several CBI officers have visited several foreign countries in the name of investigation.
Whatever political parties might say and do, Lindstrom's interview has put an end to many speculations over the Bofors scam, finally.
Comments
0 comment