The government sought to dispel doubts that fugitive Ottavio Quattrocchi's bail from a court in Argentina would have any bearing on proceedings to extradite him.
NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday sought to dispel doubts that fugitive Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi's bail from a court in Argentina would have any bearing on proceedings to extradite him even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cried foul.
A confrontational opposition tore up a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension Suresh Pachauri and insisted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh make a comprehensive statement on events leading to Quattrocchi's arrest and his subsequent bail.
Both houses of parliament were later adjourned for the day with a determined opposition blockading proceedings.
Detailing the course of events since Quattrocchi was picked up February 6 by the authorities in Argentina on an Interpol lookout notice, Pachauri said India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) responded immediately by fulfilling legal formalities in accordance with the Argentinean Extradition Act.
Considering that the CBI had just the mandatory 30 days for proceeding on Quattrocchi's extradition, Pachauri added that it had to hire translators from the School of Foreign Languages of Jawaharlal Nehru University to translate voluminous documentation into Spanish.
"The translation work being technical in nature was time-consuming. Substantive provisions of Argentinean extradition law comprising about 300 pages has been prepared within the quickest timeframe," said Pachauri.
Besides procuring documents to be incorporated in the extradition request and parleying with both the Argentineans and the Indian embassy, Pachauri also pointed out that it was necessary to seek a fresh warrant of arrest, which was obtained from Delhi's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate February 24.
"The CBI sent the extradition request to the government February 24 for completing the required diplomatic and legal formalities," the statement said.
Pachauri also said the CBI was informed of Quattrocchi's release on bail on Monday with the condition imposed by Argentina's Federal Court that he will not leave the country.
Indian investigators have privately admitted that attempts to get Quattrocchi extradited had suffered a major setback, especially after he managed to obtain bail on Monday.
Quattrocchi is accused of receiving $7 million in bribes as a middleman in the $1.2 billion purchase of artillery from Swedish arms maker Bofors AB for the Indian Army in the 1980s.
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