M A I N   N E W S

UK freezes Quattrocchi’s bank accounts
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 28
Acceding to India’s request, the UK has frozen two bank accounts, containing £ 3 million, of Ottavio Quattrocchi, Italian businessman and prime accused in the Rs 64 crore Bofors payoff case.

The information to this effect was passed on to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by Interpol, London, agency sources said today.

Interpol informed the CBI that the accounts were frozen after the Crown Prosecution Service of London obtained the restraining order against Quattrocchi for operation of the bank accounts.

India had on Tuesday last issued a Letter Rogatory to Britain asking it to freeze the accounts of the businessman, considered close to the Gandhi family.

The Letter Rogatory was forwarded to a London court on the request of the British government which asked India to make a formal request for proceeding against the bank account of Quattrocchi.

Quattrocchi has been missing since a Malaysian lower court recently rejected the extradition request of India and allowed him to travel abroad.

Subsequently, the CBI took up the matter in higher courts and at present the matter is pending before the court of Appeals at Kuala Lumpur.

Besides, the CBI is also in touch with the authorities of Italy for ascertaining the whereabouts of Quattrocchi through Interpol and diplomatic channels.

Meanwhile, the CBI stated in a press note that its investigation had revealed that Quattrocchi had received $ 712 million from AB Bofors through AE Services, a UK-based company. After receiving this money, Quattrocchi had been transferring the funds from one account to another and from one jurisdiction to another to avoid detection and evade the due process of law.

“It is the first time that a timely information about the existence of his accounts was received and prompt action leading to restraining the operation of the accounts containing substantial amount of funds was obtained,” the CBI said.