New Delhi: Terming the Justice Pathak Inquiry Authority report as a 'flawed document', former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh questioned the exoneration of Congress party when the Volcker findings had named both him and the party as non-contractual beneficiaries in the Iraqi oil-for-food programme.
Making a personal explanation in the Rajya Sabha, Singh said, "clearly Justice Pathak's conclusions dealing with the contract in which I was mentioned as non-contractual beneficiary and the contract in which the Congress party was mentioned as non-contractual beneficiary are at best questionable."
He said the Authority has not explained why he (Natwar) would ask for one contract in his name and another in the name of the Congress party.
"In neither case has he (Pathak) produced any evidence of my linkage except through surmises and assumptions. I will like to state with all my emphasis at my command that nowhere have I signed any contract, received any voucher, signed any receipt or made any transaction with any party," the suspended Congress leader said.
Although the report of the authority was a ‘flawed document’, it was categorical about what mattered most to him, he said.
"The authority has in clear terms said I and my son derived no financial gains from any source. We stand fully vindicated," he said.
The House heard with rapt attention as Natwar gave his personal explanation even though at one point of time Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachouri raised a point of order that anything debatable in the personal explanation should not be allowed.
Natwar Singh, who has been indicted by the authority for misuse of position, said Justice Pathak did not examine the circumstances under which Volcker Committee included his name as a non-contractual beneficiary.
Nor did the authority verify the documents on which such a conclusion was based and gave no explanation how the name of many companies, mostly from the US, were removed by Volcker, he said.
Claiming he had a good record and reasonably successful diplomatic career, Natwar said, "I dare say that the record of my public life has been without blemish. I have no reason, therefore, to indulge in acts of impropriety of this nature for petty financial gains."
Giving details of his visit to Iraq, he said he headed a political delegation to Baghdad in January 2001.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi ‘gave me a letter of introduction to President Saddam Hussain which I delivered to Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz on arrival'.
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During his entire stay, Natwar said he had no discussions or talks with any Iraqi authority regarding the oil-for-food programme, oil contract, vouchers and bank accounts.
Natwar said the delegation contained three more members apart from him--Shiv Shanker, A R Antulay and Aneil Mathrani.
His son Jagat had accompanied him and the fare was paid by ‘me’, he said adding ‘there is no document approved by me to add any names to the delegation. I had no authority to do so. I have made this clear on several occasions that no names were added’.
Natwar said he had briefed the Congress president about his discussions in Baghdad. "Nothing at all was concealed from her or held back," he said.
Natwar said the Volcker report had produced no evidence as to how his name or the Congress were added.
"In my affidavit (to the Authority), I have given details and Volcker's bias against those who disapproved of us action in West Asia and elsewhere. My affidavit and statement to the Pathak Authority have been completely ignored by it," he said.
The Authority report has not attached his affidavit. "Why then we were asked to submit affidavit and asked to make statements to the authority. It has not attached a copy of the statement that I made to the authority exposing flaws and loopholes in the Volcker report," Natwar said.
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