27 Sept 2002

TWO BILLION DOLLARS IN RAHUL GANDHI'S ACCOUNT?

From Our Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: Schweitzer Illustrierte, a Swiss news magazine, has alleged in an old issue that the Soviet intelligence agency KGB had deposited US $2 billion in a Swiss bank account in 1985 in the "minor" account of Rahul Gandhi managed by his mother Sonia Gandhi.

Janata Party President Dr Subramanian Swamy, who had secured an order from the Delhi High Court to the CBI to investigate alleged receipt of slush money by late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's family, has cited a November 1991 issue of the Swiss magazine in support of his charge.

In an affidavit filed before the High Court, Dr Swamy has contended that the CBI should have atleast contacted the news magazine to ascertain the facts. Dr Swamy says a proper CBI inquiry would reveal a scandal which will make the Bofors kickbacks pale before it as it involves corruption indulged in by late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and exposes the slush money received by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Dr Swamy has contested the CBI's contention before the High Court last month that the "allegation" that Rahul Gandhi had received benefits from the commercial dealings of an Indian firm in coopertion with the Soviet foreign trade organisations is vague and hence it did not conduct any inquiry.

He has claimed in the affidavit that during his recent visit abroad this year, he had received "reliable information" that then KGB chief Victor Chebrikov had sought, in writing in December 1985, from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), "authorisation to make payments in US dollars to the family members of Mr Rajiv Gandhi, viz Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ms Paola Maino, mother of Sonia Gandhi."

He has further claimed that the payments were authorised by CPSU by a resolution CPSU/CC/No 11228/3 dated 20/12/1985 and the same was also endorsed by the USSR Council of Ministers in Directive No 2633/Rs dated 20/12/1985. He also claimed that these payments had been coming since 1971 as the payments received by Sonia Gandhi's family "have been audited in CPSU/CC resolution No 11187/22 OP dated 10/12/1984.

It may be mentioned here that Dr Swamy had filed a writ petition before the Delhi High Court last year claiming that his allegations against Sonia Gandhi and her family members were based on the documents in the KGB archieves. He said the CBI should have obtained a Letter Rogatory to seek the information from the Russian Government instead of rejecting his charges outright. The case is listed for the next hearing on October 28. END