NEW YORK, Nov 25: Indian government’s special envoy Virendra Dayal, sent here to obtain crucial documents from the UN Inquiry Committee regarding alleged illegal payoffs to India’s External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and the Congress, told reporters on Thursday that he had secured all essential documents he had sought from the IIC.
Mr Dayal, himself a retired UN official, was sent to obtain documents from IIC headed by former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, which was looking into the scandal-ridden Iraqi oil-for-food programme.
The IIC, which ended its investigations, had alleged that some 2,200 companies doing business with UN’s oil-for-food programme were involved in giving kickbacks and bribes to Iraqi and UN officials. It named some 133 Indian companies which had obtained such contracts.
Mr Dayal told reporters that these documents would now be examined by experts in New Delhi to see what more was required. If necessary, he might come to New York once more to seek information.
He said the Volcker Committee had handed over all documents which were in its capacity to do so and only after their analysis would a decision be taken as to whether India needs to contact some other countries.
The committee, he said, was convinced that the documents on which it had based its findings were authentic but all aspects would be examined to let Indian investigators arrive at their own conclusions.
Mr Dayal said the committee was sorting out some other documents, implying that he had sought more information.
