The Hindu : Front Page : ED seeks Natwar's clarifications on documents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 19, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

ED seeks Natwar's clarifications on documents

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate officials, investigating the Indian angle in the Iraqi oil-for-food scam, questioned the former External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, for the second consecutive day on Saturday. During the two-hour session here, clarifications were sought from him about some documents, which the Enforcement Directorate had procured from Jordan and Iraq, sources said. The ED had issued him summons to appear "at his convenience."

Probe at "critical stage"

Its probe into the dealings of Indians with the ousted Saddam Hussein regime in the oil-for-food programme, under the aegis of the United Nations between 1996 and 2003, reached a "critical stage."

The others questioned by the ED so far are Andaleep Sehgal, Director of Hamdan Exports, who was mentioned in the Paul Volcker Committee Report on the scam; Jagat Singh, a Congress MLA and son of Mr. Natwar Singh; Aneil Matherani, India's former envoy to Croatia; and Congress leaders Vijay Dhar and Jammeel Zaidi.

Mr. Natwar Singh's name appeared in the Volcker Report as a non-contractual beneficiary.

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