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Swedish arms manufacturer to stand trial in Bofors case

Satya Prakash in New Delhi

Swedish arms manufacturer A B Bofors, which bagged the controversial Howitzer gun contract in 1986, has submitted itself before a designated Central Bureau of Investigation court in New Delhi to stand trial in the Rs 640-million pay-offs case.

In an application before Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke, the company, now known as Kartongen Kemi Och Farvaltning AB, said it has appointed Delhi-based advocate Punita Singh to represent it during the trial proceedings and requested the court to accept her as its representative.

Singh's appointment has already been ratified by the board of directors of the company after she gave her consent in writing, company's counsel Alok Sen Gupta told the court on Friday.

Gupta requested the court to accept Singh's appointment as the company's representative for the purpose of trial as "it was carrying on its activities in Sweden and had neither any business nor any officer or employee posted in India."

The court asked CBI to file its reply to the company's plea on January 30, the next date of hearing.

In its first chargesheet filed on October 22, 1999, CBI accused AB Bofors of paying huge kickbacks to its Indian agent Win Chadha and Kuala Lumpur-based Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi to bag the contract for the supply of 155 mm Howitzer field guns despite a commitment that there would be no middlemen in the deal.

Apart from Chadha, Quottrocchi and Bofors company, CBI also named former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar and the then chief of Bofors Martin Ardbo as accused in the first chargesheet.

In the second chargesheet filed on October 9 last year, CBI alleged that the company also paid about 81 million Swedish Kroners to Europe-based three Hinduja brothers -- S P Hinduja, G P Hinduja and P P Hinduja -- to bag the gun deal.

Bofors company had appeared before the special court for the first time on November 20 last through its counsel and sought four weeks' time from the court to respond to the summons issued to it following filing of the first chargesheet.

PTI

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