Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Bigger conspiracy

The soft and collusive treatment meted out to Ottavio Quattrocchi by successive Congress-led governments is much more than just "A conspiracy of silence" (editorial, Feb. 26). In the past, Mr. Quattrocchi has had the last laugh with the CBI and the government providing smooth exits, obviously at the behest of someone very, very powerful in the Congress. When his bank accounts were unfrozen in London early last year, the CBI submitted that there was no evidence to link the funds with the receipt of payments of commission from Bofors.

It is also well known that the case against him is weak and his extradition impossible. Then why this drama of sending a high level CBI team to Argentina with an impossible request, and engaging a local firm to handle the issue? Even if Mr. Quattrocchi is brought back to India, our sluggish courts, the CBI, and the Italian businessman's powerful patrons will ensure that he goes back home.

Col. C.V. Venugopalan (retd.),
Palakkad

The editorial has exposed the various attempts of the Congress-led governments to bury the Bofors case and let Mr. Quattrocchi, a key accused, off the hook.

Rajiv Gandhi paid the political price for his faux pas in this case. It will be an insult to his memory if the beneficiaries are allowed to go scot-free by accident or design.

M.K.B. Nambiar,
Mahe

It looks like Mr. Quattrocchi will never be brought back to India if the Congress continues to remain in power. The CBI will be made to ensure that. The questions that need to be answered are: Who is accountable for his escape from India in 1993? What made the CBI help in lifting the freeze on his London bank accounts? Who is responsible for the delay of at least 17 days in disclosing his detention in Argentina by Interpol?

N. Gopalan,
Bangalore

The CBI's reasoning that it took so long to announce Mr. Quattrocchi's detention because his identity had to be established is unconvincing. The laxity on the part of the investigating agency should be inquired into.

Paramjeet S. Berwal,
New Delhi

It appears that the Government is playing hide and seek with the Italian wheeler-dealer, with the intention of letting him escape. If it cannot do as much as bring him back to India within the stipulated time, it will have no moral right to continue in power.

Nellai Thirumalairajan,
Chennai

The UPA Government's suppression of the news of Mr. Quattrocchi's detention is understandable. It wanted to create an issue that would divert the Opposition's attention away from the burning problem of inflation and price rise. The Government must come clean on why it is going soft on the Quattrocchi issue.

C. Thirunavukkarasu,
Chennai

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