Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is planning to question former Defence Minister George Fernandes and former Navy Chief Sushil Kumar in connection with the alleged corruption in the purchase of seven Barak missile systems from Israel.
Though the agency is yet to decide on a date, sources say the Central investigating agency is likely to interrogate Fernandes and Kumar either this week or early next week. The agency had earlier named both of them in an FIR filed on October 9, 2006 for allegedly ignoring the DRDO's opinion on the purchase of the Barak missiles.
CBI says kickbacks amounting to Rs 2 crore were paid for the Rs 1,125-crore deal. The Supreme Court had earlier questioned the CBI as to why they hadn't questioned Fernandes yet.
But Fernandes' office told CNN-IBN that they have not received any intimation from the agency yet.
CBI has already completed questioning of arms dealer Suresh Nanda whose passport has been suspended for four weeks. The agency has also approached the External Affairs Ministry for revocation of his passport.
In its FIR, the CBI had alleged that a sum of Rs 2 crore was paid to the then Samata Party President Jaya Jaitley, who acted as an 'agent', to clinch the deal. The CBI also alleged former Naval Chief Kumar colluded with other accused to put up a note to Fernandes to import the Barak systems despite objections from the DRDO.
Fernandes not only approved the proposal, but also tried to get it approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security, the agency alleged. The deal for acquiring the Barak systems and 200 missiles for fitting on naval warships was signed on October 23, 2000 when the BJP-led NDA was in power.
The case came to light in 2001 when a sting operation was carried out by news portal Tehelka exposing the alleged irregularities in several defence deals, including the one to purchase the Barak systems.
Fernandes had claimed that the government had given the go-ahead after receiving clearance from former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who was the then scientific advisor to the Defence Minister, but it was contradicted by CBI which said Kalam had on June 23, 1999 written against procurement of Barak Anti-Missile Defence System.
The letter by Kalam had come in response to the then Naval Chief Admiral Susheel Kumar who had on June 15 sought the acquisition of two Barak AMDs. Kalam, in his letter, had said the development of indigenous Trishul missile was in final stages and various systems were working properly.
He had argued in favour of Trishul, saying it was cost effective and would be free from problems that could arise out of foreign policy changes, they said.
(With PTI inputs)
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