'I want to go home,' Italian in arms scandal says
Italian industrialist Ottavio Quattrocchi, who is wanted by India in relation to the Bofors arms scandal, today said he was hoping for a swift end to the case so he reunite with his children, whom he has not seen for two years.
"My youngest daughter is expecting her first child. But she is in hospital in Italy now. I want to be with her as I have not seen my children for two years," the 64-year-old Quattrocchi told reporters.
"I want to go home. That is the best gift I can give my children."
His wife, Marie said her husband was innocent and saw no reason why India should seek his extradition.
"What wrong has he done? Has he committed a crime? Has he killed anybody?," she told reporters outside the High Court.
Marie said it had been a long and hard two years as she had to remain with her husband in Malaysia, away from their four children in Milan, Italy.
Italian industrialist Ottavio Quattrocchi, who is wanted by India in relation to the Bofors arms scandal, today said he was hoping for a swift end to the case so he reunite with his children, whom he has not seen for two years.
"My youngest daughter is expecting her first child. But she is in hospital in Italy now. I want to be with her as I have not seen my children for two years," the 64-year-old Quattrocchi told reporters.
"I want to go home. That is the best gift I can give my children."
His wife, Marie said her husband was innocent and saw no reason why India should seek his extradition.
"What wrong has he done? Has he committed a crime? Has he killed anybody?," she told reporters outside the High Court.
Marie said it had been a long and hard two years as she had to remain with her husband in Malaysia, away from their four children in Milan, Italy.
Politically motivated
"We can't have it going on and on. It has been two years. My husband has his rights to be with his family," she said.
Marie said she was praying that the review application in the High Court which has been postponed to Thursday would be over as soon as possible.
On Monday, the Sessions Court released Quattrocchi, saying the reasons given by India for seeking his extradition were vague. But prosecutors supported by New Delhi immediately filed a revision application in the High Court.
All the charges relate to the 1986 scandal in which Swedish arms company Bofors allegedly paid US$14.2 million in bribes to clinch a weapons contract with India worth a total of US$1.3 billion.
Quattrocchi again lashed out at India, saying the extradition attempt was politically motivated and denied he fled India. "I left India with a first class ticket in 1993."
The Italian expressed optimism that the High Court would rule in his favour.
"Tomorrow should be over. I have to be optimistic. There is justice in the Malaysian system," he said.
India, which has no extradition treaty with Malaysia, began the legal fight for Quattrocchi's extradition two years ago. AFP
