Bofors: I have been misquoted, says Fernandes

New Delhi, Mar 11 (UNI) NDA Convenor and former Defence Minister George Fernandes today said he had been misquoted regarding his remarks about then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee asking him not to proceed with Bofors investigations.

Asked to comment on the controversy that has arisen following his remark that Mr Vajpayee had asked him not to do anything regarding the Bofors pay off case, Mr Fernandes said Mr Vajpayee's remark was more in a lighter vein than an order.

Mr Fernandes said Mr Vajpayee probably meant that since the CBI was already investigating the issue, there was no scope for any alternative probe.

Mr Fernandes also quoted Swedish Chief Investigator Lindstorm as having written to him that Congress President Sonia Gandhi needed to be questioned by the investigating agency on issues like who introduced Italian fugitive Ottavio Quattrocchi to Bofors officials and why did the Bofors pay money to Mr Quattrocchi and the services he rendered for getting this money and what was the link between Quattrocchi and Mrs Gandhi and lastly who was the Gandhi Trust lawyer who met Bofors Chief Martin Ardbo in Geneva.

UNI