Aniel Mathrani, former Indian envoy to Croatia, was on Monday questioned by the Enforcement Directorate with regard to his reported claims that Union Minister Natwar Singh had been a beneficiary in Iraq's oil-for-food programme.
Enforcement sleuths receive Mathrani at airport
The ED, which is investigating whether any illegal foreign currency transaction had taken place, took Mathrani from his Vasant Kunj residence in New Delhi to its headquarters to quiz him, official sources said.
Earlier, Mathrani was questioned by the officials of Intelligence Bureau, ED and RAW at a secret location in New Delhi soon after his arrival from Zagreb on Saturday night.
Why the Iraq scam report is explosive
Mathrani, a former Congress' Foreign Affairs cell member considered close to Natwar Singh, kicked off a political controversy after his purported interview to a news magazine published on Friday in which he had reportedly claimed that Natwar was involved in getting oil vouchers for himself and the Congress party.
The political storm triggered by him saw the opposition parties stalling Parliament's proceedings and demanding the resignation of Natwar and Congress President Sonia Gandhi as the chairperson of the National Advisory Council.
Mathrani was part of the four-member Congress delegation led by Natwar, which visited Iraq in 2001 when the oil vouchers are alleged to have been allotted. Natwar has been named as the non-contractual beneficiary in the UN's Volcker Committee report.
Complete Coverage: The Volcker Report
