M A I N   N E W S

Quattrocchi’s extradition case frozen

Kuala Lumpur, March 8
A judge today froze extradition proceedings against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, wanted in India in connection with the Bofors payoff case until a ruling is made on claims that his arrest in Malaysia is illegal.

High Court judge K. C. Vohrah ordered that proceedings to execute government extradition order against Quattrocchi which were already under way in a lower court be placed on hold pending further legal argument.

Defence lawyers said they would now apply to the High Court to quash outright the order of Malaysia’s Home Minister that Quattrocchi be sent to India to face accusations of corruption, cheating and conspiracy.

Quattrocchi and Martin Ardbo, former Managing Director of the Swedish arms maker AB Bofors, are accused of paying kickbacks on the purchase of 400 artillery guns by India. If convicted, both face up to seven years in prison. Both Quattrocchi, who runs a consultancy company and has been living in Malaysia for several years, and Ardbo have denied the charges against them. Ardbo is believed to be living in Sweden. AP

Deshmukh inducts 6 ministers

Mumbai, March 8
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today reshuffled his 53-member Council of Ministers by inducting six new faces and elevating two ministers of state to the Cabinet rank while dropping five in what is being described as an attempt to fortify his eight-party Democratic Front coalition government on the eve of the Budget session of the legislative assembly beginning on Monday.

The ministers whose resignations were secured by the Chief Minister were Hussein Dalwai (Congress) and state Excise Minister Vasant Chavan and Minister of State for Protocol N.P. Hirani, both belonging to the NCP.

The six new faces inducted in the ministry are Mr Syed Ahmed and Mr Satish Chaturvedi — both of the Congress and four ministers of state Dr Vijay Kumar Gavit, Mr Rajendra Shingane, Mr Rajesh Tope and Mr Hasan Mushriff — and all of them belong to the NCP. UNI