New Delhi: Widely travelled diplomat, writer and politician Kunwar Natwar Singh recently came under a cloud over the Iraq oil scam that cost him the ministerial position he held with the United Progressive Alliance government.
The Independent Inquiry Committee under Paul Volcker, former chairman of the United States Federal Reserve, reported in October 2005 that the Congress Party, Natwar Singh and his son, Jagat were non-contractual beneficiaries of illegal payoffs in former Iraq President Saddam Hussain's oil-for-food programme.
The report also alleged that they along with Jagat's childhood friend Andaleeb (Andy) Sehgal were associated with a company called Hamdan Exports, which acted as an intermediary for illegal sales of oil to a Swiss firm named Masefield AG. Under pressure from the opposition parties, the Indian Government constituted the Justice R.S. Pathak inquiry authority to probe the references in the Volcker report. Also, the Indian Enforcement Directorate (ED) started investigating the money trail.
Even while Jagat blamed the Congress for mishandling the entire episode and charged that some people in the party were after his father, the Congress distanced itself from Singh.
According to Singh neither he nor the Congress authorised anybody to collect money on its behalf. But since somebody did collect the money, Volcker inquiry was determined to find out who it was.
The ED finally tracked money transfer from London-based NRI businessman Aditya Khanna's bank account to his own NRI account in a Delhi bank and subsequent withdrawal from this account. Aditya Khanna is a close relative of Natwar Singh and a friend of Andy.
Both Aditya and Andy have confessed to the ED of having received pay-offs.
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with Gulf News former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh endeavours to come clean on the whole issue.
Gulf News: At the age of 75, it sure cannot be a good feeling to have your name involved in kickbacks.
Natwar Singh: It has been a disagreeable experience. But I have strong nerves. And since I have done nothing wrong, I take this adversity with dignity and courage. No country has taken the Volcker report seriously except India. Volcker himself said that he had changed the language of the report in order to protect the job of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. And when he was asked if he knew me, he said no, he has never heard of me and had never written to me or to the Congress Party. The report having been taken so seriously was quite extraordinary. But it's now that people are realising that nothing has been found against my son or me. The initial figures mentioned as cuts were Rs5 billion (Dh416.7 million), but now they are trying to find out where the paltry amount of Rs5 million (Dh416,667) went.
In your opinion has the Congress Party been fair to you vis-à-vis the oil scam?
I do not want to comment on this. And I do believe that the party is not involved in it.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L.K. Advani has said that you are being made a scapegoat although the involvement is quite widespread.
I heard Advani's speech in Parliament. But I do not want to say anything on it.
Why don't you leave it to the Congress to handle it also, after all its name is also mentioned in the Volcker Report?
I don't know what the Pathak Commission has done about the Congress. There are two contracts one in the name of the Congress and the other in my name. Pathak has asked me to see him on May 31. I do not know who has been called from the Congress.
Does the Congress party contact you when such a situation arises?
No, they don't.
How hopeful are you that you will be cleared by the Pathak inquiry authority?
I know I will be cleared. It has been over six months and if I had done something wrong, they would have found out by now. On the first day itself I had said I was innocent. Being a minister is not important to me. During my entire career span, I have been a minister for only seven years and the rest of the years I had not been cutting grass. I don't want to go to the funeral pyre with Volcker and Pathak sitting on my back.
With both Andy Sehgal and Aditya Khanna having confessed to receiving a cut, is there a possibility that your name has been used?
They are young boys and I don't want to make any comments on this. Yes, I have read in the newspapers about their confession. It is up to them and their lawyers to decide what they want to do next.
Sure, you must have spoken to Andy and Aditya. What do they say? And what does your son Jagat say?
No, I have not spoken to Andy or Aditya. Andy is my son's friend. I do not know the details. As for Jagat and myself, we don't sit brooding over it. We rather go on with our lives.
If one were to believe you are innocent, then who is behind implicating you and why?
I do not have the faintest idea and don't care about it. Of course, I can see the change. A few months ago everyone was very hostile towards me. Now people know it's a frame-up.
Once you are proved 'not guilty' what would your next step be?
To enjoy life, read, write, travel and meet friends, which I am doing even now.
Do you look forward to being reinstated as Minister of External Affairs?
It is unimportant. I survived without being a minister for years. I am not a unidimensional person and I have varied interests, so I do not care for such things.
