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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
Reports on Country's Role, Stand, in BCCI Scandal
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
Joint Publications Research Service, September 23, 1991
Economic: Report's on Country's Stand, Role in BCCI Scandal
</hdr>
<body>
<p>[Bombay, The Times of India in English, 8 Aug 91, p.1]
</p>
<p>Minister's Statement
</p>
<p> The government's statement on the BCCI (Bank of Credit and
Commerce International), claiming that this overseas bank was
not involved in any anti-state activity or shady deal touched
off uproarious scenes followed by a walk-out by the entire
opposition in Parliament today.
</p>
<p> According to PTI, the finance minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh,
turned down in the Rajya Sabha a demand for a joint
Parliamentary committee (JPC) inquiry into the affairs of the
BCCI in India on grounds that it might affect the good
Indo-Arab relations.
</p>
<p> The ruling family of Abu Dhabi had in 1990 acquired
substantial interests in the BCCI and the family could not be
held responsible for what all the bank had allegedly done
earlier, Dr. Singh said while responding to clarifications on
his statement in both houses of Parliament.
</p>
<p> (The specific demand for the JPC probe was made by the
leader of the opposition, Mr. Jaipal Reddy.)
</p>
<p> Protesting members belonging to the National Front and left
parties charged the government with suppressing facts and
trooped into the well of the Lok Sabha. They disregarded pleas
by the speaker that they could get off their chest whatever
they wanted during the special discussion on the subject of the
house.
</p>
<p> The opposition, barring the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party),
which had earlier boycotted the session for the day, was
particularly incensed when the finance minister made a hasty
retreat after making his statement on the BCCI.
</p>
<p> Urging the speaker, Mr. Shivraj Patil, to recall the finance
minister on the ground that he had treated the house with
"contempt," at least four Janata Dal members went on a "dharma"
in the well for some time until they were persuaded by the CPM
(Communist Party of India-Marxist) leader, Mr. Somnath
Chatterjee, and several other senior leaders to give up the
protest.
</p>
<p> The Janata Dal leaders, Mr. George Fernandes and Mr. Ram
Vilas Paswan, sprang to their feet as soon as the finance
minister had resumed his seat and charged the government with
taking the house for a ride. They said the statement was a
cover-up cooked up by the government to save the reputations of
several important leaders and business magnates in the country.
</p>
<p> In his three-page statement made towards the fag end of the
day, the finance minister clearly states that nothing that
"impinges on the security of the country has come to the notice
of the government so far. However, the government is fully
alert about this aspect of the matter and in case further
information becomes available appropriate action will be taken."
</p>
<p> The government had no definite information regarding
allegations made in the house that Indian politicians and
bureaucrats had received payments through the BCCI (overseas)
Ltd., Bombay branch or that any terrorists organizations had
been funded through it.
</p>
<p> The finance minister's statement was not altogether bland
about transactions by the bank and revealed that since being
set up in Bombay, as a subsidiary of the Bank of Credit and
Commerce International Holdings (Luxembourg) on 31 March 1983
it was involved in some irregularities which were detected and
the culprits brought to book. The finance minister said some of
the employees of the bank were detained under the COFEPOSA
(Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling
Activities) Act following investigations by the enforcement
directorate in 1986.
</p>
<p> Giving details of this case, the finance minister said the
bank was releasing foreign exchange against the foreign travel
scheme to travel agents without verifying the signatures of the
actual travellers with the result that a substantial amount of
foreign exchange was released in the strength of forms bearing
forged and fake signatures.
</p>
<p> Subsequently four of the suspects were released in the
recommendation of the advisory board that heard the cases in
the COFEPOSA Act. The detention order of one employee was
revoked by the government in the ground that other employees had
been released under similar circumstances.
</p>
<p> However, the case was adjourned by an order dated 20 June
1988 and a penalty was imposed in the bank, its employees as
well as travel agents involved in the case. Following this
order, foreign exchange amounting to $132,000 as well as the
Indian currency of rupees, 1,700,057 was taken over from the
bank.
</p>
<p> The finance minister said that there were also reports in
1988 from intelligence agencies that the BCCI had made
overtures for acquisition of property and was trying to enter
the hotel and real estate business in Lucknow and Bombay.
</p>
</body>
</article>
</text>