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CBI seeks red corner
alert against Ardbo: PTI

"The matter is being pursued by the CBI through the Interpol Secretary General, France, and steps are being taken by the authorities for issuing a red corner notice (against Ardbo)," the CBI said in its written submission filed in the court of Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke.

The court had on July 28 last issued a fresh and open non-bailable arrest warrant against Ardbo enabling the CBI to approach Interpol for issuance of a red corner alert against the Swedish national to secure his presence in the case.

The open NBW against Ardbo was issued after the CBI informed the court that one earlier issued against him had been "executed" but the accused was not physically arrested as Swedish law did not permit it.

The CBI also requested the court to extend the NBW against Kuala Lumpur-based Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi as the Malayasian authorities were considering the agency's request for extradition of the accused.

The court had issued NBW against Quattrocchi during the investigation of the case itself. However, a fresh NBW was issued against him on November 4, after the court took cognisance of a CBI charge-sheet filed on October 22 last year.

Since then, the NBW against Quattrocchi is being extended by the court at the request of the investigating agency.

At the last hearing, CBI counsel U S Prasad informed the court that summons against Nobel Tech Incorporation, the successor of A B Bofors, has been received back after being served on its managing director Jan Kihlberg through diplomatic channels.

But nobody was present in court on Friday to represent the company. The CBI said it would file a further report regarding Nobel Tech by the next date of hearing.

Accused Win Chadha has moved an application seeking a direction to the CBI to hand over statements of Swenska Company, allegedly recorded by the investigating agency during preliminary enquiries into the case in 1988-89. But the CBI denied that any such statement was recorded.

He has moved another application seeking release of certain articles/papers seized by the CBI during a search of his residence on Superdari.

Quattrochhi, Ardbo, Chadha, former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar and Bofors Co are facing charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption.

The CBI alleged that Bofors had paid a huge sum of bribe to middlemen and public servants to clinch the deal for supply of 400-155 mm howitzer field guns to India despite an undertaking that no middleman would be engaged.

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