New Delhi, July 21: British government has asked the CBI to submit a Letters Rogatory by tomorrow requesting freezing of Rs 21 crore in the name of the main accused in the Rs 64 crore Bofors payoff scam Ottavio Quattrocchi. In a communique sent to the CBI, the British authorities said the bank account had been frozen till July 22, by which time "we expect to receive the request from the Indian government." While conceding that it was a race against time, the CBI sources said the Letters Rogatory would reach British authorities by tomorrow requesting them to freeze the account in a London bank.
The three million pounds in the London bank account of Quattrocchi had already been frozen by the British Authorities pending receipt of a formal request from the Indian government. However, the freeze could not be permanent according to the British laws and hence the request from the Indian government was necessary by the stipulated time, the sources said.
The probe agency was informed by the Interpol London that they had traced a "bank account in the name of Ottavio Quattrocchi in which three million pounds had been stashed."
CBI claimed in its request that it was believed that "the amount of three million pounds stashed in the bank account was a part of 73.43 lakh dollars paid to him (Quattrochhi) by A B Bofors through A E Services." Bureau Report