04 June 2004	Friday	15 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, June 3: PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has served a legal notice on the Swiss pre-shipment inspection firm, SGS, demanding a copy of the letter which it had apparently written to the government of Pakistan about the contract awarded to it during the PPP government in 1994.

The notice has been signed by Barrister Kamal Azfar on behalf of Ms Bhutto, says a handout here on Thursday. The notice cited reports, appearing in Pakistani newspapers last month, which quoted CBR officials as saying that the SGS had written a letter of apology to Gen Pervez Musharraf.

According to the CBR officials, the company had admitted that its former employee, Jens Schelgilmilch, had made unlawful payments to Asif Ali Zardari and Ms Bhutto to get the contract.

"This statement is clearly incorrect because our client did not receive any payment from your company via Mr Schelgilmilch in respect of the award of the contract which was awarded in an entirely transparent manner," the notice said.