Even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to reopen the Bofors gun kickbacks case, seeking the Centre's permission for filing a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court, the private investigator in the case, Michael J Hershman, has questioned the integrity of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Speaking to DNA, Hershman, president and CEO of The Fairfax Group, who has already said he was ready to dispose before the CBI and help investigators with his findings, questioned Gandhi's intention in trying to close the case, wondering why the case had been dumped.
"The leader of a country like India — Rajiv Gandhi, since the information about corruption came to his attention... wouldn't the right thing for him to do was to launch an investigation?" he asked.
DNA had first interviewed Hershman, who was assigned the job of probing violations of currency control laws in 1987, earlier this week, where he had claimed that "millions were paid as bribe by Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors to influential politicians and people".
Hershman also asserted that "those who are defensive about the investigation" often ensure that the "investigator is criticised rather than facilitate search for the truth".
On Gandhi, he said, "Immediately, there was criticism of the investigation but not a discussion on the allegations of corruption. Why was that? What did Rajiv Gandhi have to hide? That is not the way an honest man would have proceeded."
He further noted, "Here in India, we are still talking of Bofors. Let us face it, corruption has become part of the culture in India. That has to be attacked."
Meanwhile, sources in the CBI told DNA that, after getting approval of the Centre, the agency will record the statements of the then investigators, including Hershman, as well as those who had probed the payment of kickbacks in the Bofors deal and who, according to Hershman, were ordered by Gandhi to back off.
The agency will also record the statements of then Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Bhure Lal and his team who were asked to leave the investigation into the Bofors scam.
Reacting to the interview of Hershman, the CBI on Wednesday issued a statement: "The agency has learnt of the matter pertaining to Bofors published in DNA containing interview of Mr Michael Hershman." "Facts and circumstances as mentioned in the interview will be looked into as per due process by the CBI," the statement said.
Hershman was amazed to find 30 years later that a probe was never done in the case. "The fact that investigation to this day — 30 years later — still has not been completed suggests to me that there are people who are still afraid that if the truth came out it might be adverse to their best interest," he has stated.
On Wednesday, Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, while referring to the DNA interview of Hershman, had said that the Congress had for too long "conveniently kept quiet".
She said: "For too long, Congress had conveniently kept quiet. It's time they explain the involvement of Congress leaders, then and now, in the Bofors saga."
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