ISLAMABAD, June 28: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto would personally appear before an 'inquiry' into the SGS pre-shipment inspection case in Geneva on Wednesday, June 30, said a statement issued here on Monday by the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP).

PPP spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar said he had moved a call attention notice in the Senate to force the government to disclose why another contract had been given to the company (SGS Cotecna) which it had accused of bribing the political government in 1994.

According to details released by the party, before leaving for Geneva, Benazir Bhutto said she welcomed the re-opening of the inquiry to settle the politically-motivated charges once and for all.

Senator Babar said the former prime minister would be accompanied by her defence counsel Senator Farooq Naek and political secretary MNA Naheed Khan. The statement said Mrs Bhutto had also filed an application before the Swiss investigation magistrate requesting that the government of Pakistan should not be made a party to the proceedings because it had reached an out-of-court settlement with the pre-shipment inspection company.

It said the SGS consistently denied for the last eight years that it gave any kickbacks to political leaders and an inquiry into this case held previously continued for several years. The previous findings given by the then inquiry magistrate Mr Devaud were quashed on Nov 4, 2003, the statement added.

The statement said the Swiss attorney-general during March this year re-opened the inquiry to re-investigate the charges of the government of Pakistan. Senator Farhatullah Babar said that according to press reports last month, the SGS and the Musharraf regime reached an out-of-court settlement and the company was given a new contract by the government.