New Delhi: Former defence minister George Fernandes is sure that the allegations of wrongdoing levelled against him in a 2000 defence deal is witch-hunt by the Congress, and the main conspirator is party chief Sonia Gandhi.
The CBI has filed a filed a corruption case against Fernandes, Admiral (Retired) Sushil Kumar, who was Navy chief in 2000, and politician Jaya Jaitley in the purchase of Barak missile system from Israel.
The whole episode was ‘the handiwork of that lady and I don't know what benefit she will derive out of it,” said Fernandes.
"This game has been going on for sometime. They have been spreading lies and canard against me. Has anything been proved so far"? he said, adding he was ready to get arrested in the case if there was any evidence against him.
He also denied the charges against his associate Jaya Jaitely, saying ‘this is gross injustice with her. There is a racket in the name of Tehelka (which exposed the alleged in a sting operation). This is the handiwork of Sonia."
"I am alleging that she (Sonia) is the mother of Tehelka. I challenge her to prove otherwise. If she thinks she can destroy us by levelling allegations against us, we are ready to bring an end to her politics," he said.
Attacking Congress, Fernandes said, "this government belongs to those who had levelled allegations against me that I made money out of the blood of soldiers but even after coming to power they could not prove the charge".
The allegations
After raiding six defence dealers in 35 places in Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Sangrur in Punjab, the CBI announced FIRs against Fernandes, Jaitley and Kumar.
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Jaitley was accused of receiving a bribe of Rs 2 crore in the Rs 1,150-crore missile deal with an Israeli firm in 2000.
FIRs have also been filed against Samata Party treasurer R K Jain, arms dealer Suresh Nanda and unnamed officials of Defence Ministry and Israel Aircraft Industries limited.
The agency alleged that the contract for seven Barak anti-missile defence (AMD) Systems and 200 missiles was signed in October 2000 with the Israeli firm despite opposition from Defence Reasearch and Development Organisation (DRDO). The DRDO opposed the deal because of the indigenous 'Trishul' system was available.
It alleged that Admiral Sushil Kumar colluded with other accused and put up a note directly to Fernandes to import six Barak AMD Systems. Kumar allegedy misrepresented facts by citing a DRDO concurrence given three years earlier when Trishul System was in its initial stages of development.
In fact, it said, Kumar had discussed this matter that very day with the then DRDO Chief, who had opposed the proposal.
Fernandes not only approved the proposal for import of Barak AMD Systems but tried to get the proposal approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security despite objection by the then Defence Secretary.
The proposal had also been processed on a single tender basis and the negotiated note of 268.63 million dollar (Rs 1125 crores) was also in excess of the earlier quoted rate by 17 million dollar (about Rs 71 crores), for which, there is no proper justification.
Prima facie evidence has also come forth indicating receipts of remittances from abroad from the Israeli firm other firms connected with it into the accounts of the Jain and two other arms dealers.
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