CBI working at the behest of UPA govt: Fernandes

New Delhi, Feb 27: NDA convener George Fernandes today charged the CBI with working at the directions from the UPA government and warned against any attempt to withdraw the red corner notice against Italian fugitive businessman and main accused in the Bofors payoffs case Ottavio Quattrocchi.

In a statement, he said withdrawing the red corner notice against Quattrocchi would amount to ''helping him'' by putting an end to the case and asked the Supreme Court to ensure that such a step was not taken.

Mr Fernandes also questioned the CBI's claim that it had to spend time to verify the identity of Quattrocchi arrested by Argentina authorities and said it was nothing but ''a stalling devise by the CBI for public consumption only'' to help the fugitive.

He said that as soon as the person was detained by the Interpol in response to a red corner the picture of the detainee along with the entire description, including the colour of eyes, was flashed, accompanied by a short telex to the initiating agency.

Mr Fernandes said Quattrocchi's son Massimo also had business links with EATI, set up by his father, which operates in India. The website of the company is www.clubinvest-europe.com. ''Why has the CBI been searching in vain all over the world when the son, in partnership with the father, regularly does business in India and was here for most of this month?'' he asked.

The former Defence Minister said UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi must clarify whether she or her family had any contacts with the Quattrocchi Jr during his stay in India.

He said that under the Right to Infomation Act, the people of the country had the right to know why the information of Quattrocchi's arrest in Argentina was not revealed to them and the Supreme Court for 17 days.

UNI