10-30-2005, 01:01 AM
<b>With Natwar under cloud, his son's visit to Iraq raises questions</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NEW DELHI: Despite External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh's outrage over the disclosures by the Paul Volcker Committee's final report into the âoil for foodâ programme in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, there is credible evidence to indicate his son Jagat Singh was actively involved in promoting companies to corner lucrative contracts under the programme.
The issue came under the scanner after Volcker named Natwar Singh and the Congress Party as ânon-contractual beneficiariesâ of Iraqi oil sales in 2001.
According to the Volcker report, Natwar falls in the category of individuals who either sold or gave their rights to buy oil from Saddam's Iraq to oil companies. In his case, it was allegedly to Switzerland-based Masefield AG.
Natwar, Volcker report says, had rights for four million barrels of oil, of which 1.9 million barrels were lifted by Masefield. <b>The Congress Party, on the other hand, also allegedly had rights for four million barrels. Of this, only one million barrels were lifted in one go, again by Masefield AG</b>, says the Volcker report.
While Natwar has called these allegations âbaseless and untrueâ, the fact is his son Jagat was involved in promoting M/s Hamdan Trading, which is owned by his friend Andy Sehgal, for cornering contracts in Iraq between 2000-2002. Indian diplomats posted in west Asia in that period confirm that Jagat Singh paid at least two visits to Iraq, one of them just days before Saddam's âreferendumâ of October 15, 2002.
On condition of anonymity, these <b>officials alleged Jagat, who is now Congress MLA from Lachchmangarh, Rajasthan,</b> used the offices of the Indian Embassy in Baghdad to push his business interests.
Despite repeated attempts by this websiteâs newspaper to contact Jagat Singh, he was not available for comment and did not reply to text messages sent to his mobile phone.
<b>Andy Sehgal, on the other hand, told this websiteâs newspaper: âJagat Singh is a friend of mine and not a relative ... Hamdan Trading is my company and we did try to get some contracts through STC</b>, which had issued tenders (for the `oil for food' programme) ... But we did not make the grade. In this connection I had also travelled to Iraq as part of an STC delegation.â
While the <b>Congress has left Natwar to defend himself</b>,<b> it may be recalled that he was instrumental, as an Opposition MP in 2003, in pushing for Parliament to pass a resolution that âdeploredâ the US invasion of Iraq.</b>
<b>In fact at the all-party meeting called to draft the resolution _ on April 7, 2003 _ Natwar attacked then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for soft-pedalling on the issue. According to those present, the then leader of the Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha, Mulayam Singh Yadav, urged Vajpayee to accede to Natwar's demand for outright condemnation.</b>
The next day, the NDA government agreed to a resolution criticising the US action in Iraq. The same day US troops entered Baghdad.
The supposed involvement of the Panther Party's Bhim Singh and the Congress Party was pointed out by Iraq's êiAl-Medaêr newspaper on January 28, 2004. While implicating others, including British Labour Party MP George Galloway, the newspaper named the Congress as being an alleged recipient of one million barrels of oil.
REACTIONS:
K. Natwar Singh from Frankfurt: âI am deeply shocked and outraged by these allegations which are baseless and untrue. My record in public life for the past 50 years and more has been an open book ... This is obviously a part of the continuing campaign to malign the Congress party and its senior leaders.â
Ambika Soni, Congress general secretary: âI categorically state that the reports are false and baseless. We consider this an attempt to sully the fair name of the Indian National Congress.â Individuals, she added, were competent to defend themselves. She would confine herself to speaking for the party.
Arun Jaitley, BJP general secretary: âHow can he (Natwar Singh) continue as India's foreign minister even for a day? ... Every word he speaks will be suspect and statements on foreign affairs will be suspect. A person who can be compromised by X can be compromised by Y.â
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The issue came under the scanner after Volcker named Natwar Singh and the Congress Party as ânon-contractual beneficiariesâ of Iraqi oil sales in 2001.
According to the Volcker report, Natwar falls in the category of individuals who either sold or gave their rights to buy oil from Saddam's Iraq to oil companies. In his case, it was allegedly to Switzerland-based Masefield AG.
Natwar, Volcker report says, had rights for four million barrels of oil, of which 1.9 million barrels were lifted by Masefield. <b>The Congress Party, on the other hand, also allegedly had rights for four million barrels. Of this, only one million barrels were lifted in one go, again by Masefield AG</b>, says the Volcker report.
While Natwar has called these allegations âbaseless and untrueâ, the fact is his son Jagat was involved in promoting M/s Hamdan Trading, which is owned by his friend Andy Sehgal, for cornering contracts in Iraq between 2000-2002. Indian diplomats posted in west Asia in that period confirm that Jagat Singh paid at least two visits to Iraq, one of them just days before Saddam's âreferendumâ of October 15, 2002.
On condition of anonymity, these <b>officials alleged Jagat, who is now Congress MLA from Lachchmangarh, Rajasthan,</b> used the offices of the Indian Embassy in Baghdad to push his business interests.
Despite repeated attempts by this websiteâs newspaper to contact Jagat Singh, he was not available for comment and did not reply to text messages sent to his mobile phone.
<b>Andy Sehgal, on the other hand, told this websiteâs newspaper: âJagat Singh is a friend of mine and not a relative ... Hamdan Trading is my company and we did try to get some contracts through STC</b>, which had issued tenders (for the `oil for food' programme) ... But we did not make the grade. In this connection I had also travelled to Iraq as part of an STC delegation.â
While the <b>Congress has left Natwar to defend himself</b>,<b> it may be recalled that he was instrumental, as an Opposition MP in 2003, in pushing for Parliament to pass a resolution that âdeploredâ the US invasion of Iraq.</b>
<b>In fact at the all-party meeting called to draft the resolution _ on April 7, 2003 _ Natwar attacked then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for soft-pedalling on the issue. According to those present, the then leader of the Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha, Mulayam Singh Yadav, urged Vajpayee to accede to Natwar's demand for outright condemnation.</b>
The next day, the NDA government agreed to a resolution criticising the US action in Iraq. The same day US troops entered Baghdad.
The supposed involvement of the Panther Party's Bhim Singh and the Congress Party was pointed out by Iraq's êiAl-Medaêr newspaper on January 28, 2004. While implicating others, including British Labour Party MP George Galloway, the newspaper named the Congress as being an alleged recipient of one million barrels of oil.
REACTIONS:
K. Natwar Singh from Frankfurt: âI am deeply shocked and outraged by these allegations which are baseless and untrue. My record in public life for the past 50 years and more has been an open book ... This is obviously a part of the continuing campaign to malign the Congress party and its senior leaders.â
Ambika Soni, Congress general secretary: âI categorically state that the reports are false and baseless. We consider this an attempt to sully the fair name of the Indian National Congress.â Individuals, she added, were competent to defend themselves. She would confine herself to speaking for the party.
Arun Jaitley, BJP general secretary: âHow can he (Natwar Singh) continue as India's foreign minister even for a day? ... Every word he speaks will be suspect and statements on foreign affairs will be suspect. A person who can be compromised by X can be compromised by Y.â
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