Yet another Bofors pay-off case accused Martin Karl Ardbo, who was president of the gun manufacturer when the controversial deal with India was signed, has passed away.
Seventy-seven-year-old Ardbo, who was wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Bofors
case and against whom Interpol had issued Red Corner notice, died in Sweden, according to Swedish news agency TT.
He was suffering from cancer, it said.
Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar and Bofors agent Win Chaddha, all accused in the Bofors case, have died during the investigations and the trial since the case first came to light in 1987.
Gandhi was cleared in the case by Delhi high court on February 4 this year.
The CBI had secured an Interpol Red Corner warrant against Ardbo and had approached Swedish authorities on
several occasions for his extradition.
Ardbo was declared proclaimed offender in the case.
The CBI had charged him with criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct in the Rs 64 crore Bofors payoff sccandal.
The high court, in its February 4 order, had said that as and when Ardbo becomes available, 'he shall be charged with these offences'.
The government had signed the deal with the Swedish arms manufacturer in March 1986 for the supply of 400 Howitzer field guns for the army on the condition that there would be no middlemen involved.
The CBI had filed two chargesheets in the case. In its first chargesheet filed in October 1999 it named the then defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, Bofors agent Win Chaddha, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, Bofors company and Ardbo as accused.
A year later, the CBI filed another chargesheet against the Hinduja brothers accusing them of having received about Rs 14 crore from Bofors as illegal commission in the deal.
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