Volcker & Bofors - Congress Party involvement

11-08-2005, 04:17 AM

11-08-2005, 04:24 AM

Indian Official Demoted Over Oil-For-Food QUOTENDTV, a local television news channel, reported that Singh will get his portfolio back if Pathak's investigation clears him.

11-08-2005, 04:27 AM

QUOTE19 parties, one Church in scam list 
New Delhi, Nov. 7: The Congress is not the only political party named by the UN-ordered Independent Inquiry Committee on the oil-for-food programme: 19 other political parties and four governments find mention in the report.

Also listed are the presidential office and deputy prime minister of Russia, Russian parliamentarian Vladimir Zhir-inovsky, British member of Parliament George Galloway and even the Orthodox Church of Russia.The political parties are accu-sed by the Volcker Committee of being non-contractual beneficiaries in the Iraq oil-for-food programme. Those accused of receiving and/or lifting barrels belong to countries as disparate as Europe and Africa.

The Communist Party of Belarus, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine are included in the Paul Adolf Volcker Committeeâs report as are several individuals and ministries of a host of countries. There is the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, Socialist Party of Bulgaria, Welfare Party of Hungary, Palestinian Liberation Front of Palestine, Labo-ur Party of Romania and the Social Democratic Party and the Socialist Party of Ukraine.

There are three more Russian parties, National Democratic Party, Peace and Unity Party and the Unity Party; and four parties from Yugoslavia âÂ Kostunica Party, Left Wing Party, Radical Party and the Socialist Party.The governments of Pakistan, Malawi, Namibia and Yemen are mentioned as are Ms Sukarno and Mrs Sukarno from Indonesia, the children of Congo President Joseph Kabila, the son of Lebanon President Lahoud and the son of a Russian ambassador.

Others on the list are the ministries of foreign affairs of Armenia and Chad, ministry of energy and mineral resources of Jordan, ministry of oil and gas of Oman and the minister for forestry of Burma.
According to the findings of the Volcker Committee report, the presidential office of Russia is alleged to have been allocated 21,350,000 barrels of oil, of which it allegedly lifted 16,401,000 barrels. 
Majority of them are from east bloc. It means cold war contacts.

11-08-2005, 04:32 AM

Old news: Laughing Volcker says sue me, UN
QUOTELaughing out loud he went on to add that the United Nations was protected by numerous immunity clauses and therefore how effective any libel case may be would be debatable, if not outrightly dismissible.

Volcker said that the Congress is, "welcome to send a legal notice."

He added, "We didn't say what is right or wrong. We only said what was there in the Iraqi records, whether there was denial, acceptance, if there was something in between or no answers

11-08-2005, 04:42 AM

ED may arrest Andy
QUOTEAndaleeb Sehgal, the friend and associate of Jagat Singh (Nutwar's son), the Congress legislator from Rajasthan, is likely to be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for violating various sections of the Foreign Exchange Maintenance Act (FEMA) and the Money Laundering Act. Sehgal and his firm Hamdan Exports are named in a UN report by former US Federal Reserve chief Paul Volcker as having paid $748,540 (Rs 30 million) into a Jordanian Bank as an "illegal surcharge" for Iraqi oil, with the money eventually reaching the then Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

11-08-2005, 05:33 AM

QUOTEArminder Singh's (Punjab CM)statement
"Andaleep Sehgal is my first cousin and Union External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh is my brother-in-law,Â
Jagat Singh is concerned, it was his mother, who is my sister also
Singh also denied claims that his son Raninder Singh and Andaleep Sehgal had formed a company for oil business with Iraq

So Andaleep Sehgal is Jagat's Mama (Jagat mom's first cousin). Media is bit confused.
Its all family affair.

11-08-2005, 05:39 AM

Who the heck is this Bhim Singh fellow ? Why would Saddam offer him oil ?

11-08-2005, 07:15 AM

Bhim Singh is chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party. (Commie of J&K) he is buddy of Pakistan. He is very active in anti India Kashmiri forum. He is very good in Press release.
I think it's his Russian or Paki connection must have played important role.
They offered him more than Nutwar. <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />
QUOTEJAMMU AND KASHMIRÂ NATIONAL PANTHERS PARTY
Camp Office: 17, V. P. House, Rafi Marg, New Delhi-1, Ph. : 23711194, 23718304 Fax : 011-23320077
Central Office: 2, Rajender Bazar, Jammu-Tawi (J&K), Ph: 0191-2573673, 0191-2458131
E. Mail: jknpp@bol.net.in & jkashmir@vsnl.com, Internet : www.thevoiceofmillions.com

Press Release

Â Â New Delhi, 3rd November, 2005:- Prof. Bhim Singh, Chairman-JKNPP has released the following statement to the media persons in a press conference held in New Delhi this day regarding the report of Volcker Committee on Oil-for-Food transactions in Iraq where his name also figured.

1. I read my name in the Volckerâs Report last year listed among the non-contractual beneficiaries.
2. I strongly protested through a letter addressed the Secretary-General of the UN asking to disclose all the relevant material connected with my name.
3. In the meanwhile, British MP George Gallaway filed a defamation case against a London based newspaper for mentioning his name among the beneficiaries. The High Court in London granted him relief and allowed his petition on the ground that he was not issued any notice nor any opportunity was granted him to defend himself.
4. The Volcker Committee panicked by this judgment started issuing notices to the beneficiaries who had allegedly committed irregularity. I did not receive any notice. I was informed that I could visit their Website: www.iic-offp.org etc.
5. Last week it was Mr. Ashok Malik of Indian Express who wanted to know my opinion on the subject. I was told that my name is included in the list. He also told me that the report says that, "Bhim Singh did not lift". That meant that, "Bhim Singh had not accepted the contact".
6. I feel proud of myself and my family for not accepting the contract, which might have brought more than 41 crores benefit in terms of money. This was a decision taken by my conscience.
7. Some reports have been published in a Section of press misquoting my statement regarding the status of other beneficiaries or politicians. I would like to place on record that I read the name of Shri Natwar Singh in website last year only when I was searching my name. I also saw the name of Shri George Gallaway in the website. I never saw any name of any company or any beneficiary on any document in Baghdad or otherwise. It was the for the first time that I saw these two names, known to me, in the website.

Bhim Singh 
Via email
QUOTEMr.Bhim Singh should explain the allegations that are being made against
him, of having taken kick backs and of having made illegal profits from the oil sales in Iraq.

I remember how Mr.Bhim Singh used to tout his visits to Iraq and how he projected himself as a valiant defender of human rights and of innocent Muslims. What is the real truth here?

The allegations made by Paul Volcker, investigating the illegalities committed under the UN's Oil-for-Food Programme, are very serious and question Mr.Bhim Singh's personal integrity.

It is one thing to indulge in demagoguery and quite another to profit off the misery of innocent Muslims in Iraq.

11-08-2005, 07:39 AM

Some more info on Bhim SinghQUOTE22nd August, 2005, Patna:- Prof. Bhim Singh, Chairman-National Panthers Party has announced Bihar State Committee of Panthers Party of 11 office bearers in a press conference in Patna last evening; Shri Krishna Bihari, Advocate, as a President, Shri Hasim Khan, Advocate, Shri Triloki Tiwari and Smt. Kalyani Tiwari have been appointed as Vice Presidents, Shri Rajender Kumar Dubey, Advocate, Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh, Advocate, Smt. Meena Devi have been appointed as General Secretaries, Mr. Nandjibhai Bhasker, as a Spokesman.
Â Â Thakur Shambhu Sharan Tufaan has been appointed as a President of Young Panthers, Shri Shailendra Kumar and Pramod Kumar Singh, as Vice-Presidents of Young Panthers, Shri Rajesh Singh, as a general secretary and Sudhir Kumar, Secretary of Young Panthres (Yuva Panthers).
Â Â Prof. Bhim Singh also appointed Shri Mithilesh Kumar Singh as Central Observer for Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Prof. Bhim Singh announced that the Panthers Party committees shall be constituted in other states within one month. He announced that the Panthers Party shall contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar without any alliance.
Â Â In a strong appeal to the followers and supporters of Shri Jaiprakash Narayan, he invited them to join the Panthers Party to fulfill the unfinished agenda of Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan to eliminate corrupt and criminal elements from political life.
Â Â Prof. Bhim Singh while addressing the first convention of the Panthers Party in Patna called on the youth of Bihar to join the Panthers Party as Bihar has always taken the lead for any revolutionary movement. He said that right from 1857 till 1974 Bihar had created undaunted leaders and patriots like Kunwar Singh (1857) and Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan (1974). He said that the revolution of Jaiprakash Narayan was hijacked by the vested interest because he had no political activist of his own to carry on the revolution in 1977. Such a great sacrifice could only change political power but not the system to fulfill the agenda of the revolution.
Shri Ram Sunder Das, Former Chief Minister of Bihar, described Prof. Bhim Singh in a public meeting as a great hope for the people of Bihar and rest of the country. He said that Bhim Singh has potential and commitment to accomplish the unfinished mission of Shri Jaiprakash Narayan. He blessed Prof. Bhim Singh in his mission.

QUOTEWhen India carried out its nuclear tests it demanded that Pakistan withdraws from Azad Kashmir. Shabbir Chaudry is seeking the same albeit on different grounds. That is why we consider Shabbir and his organisation -IKA - a group of subversives and Indian agents.Â

If their concern was freedom of the Kashmiri people, they would ask Farooq Abdullah and Professor Bhim Singh - their new found friends and well renowned collaborators of India in occupation of Jammu and Kashmir - if India would agree to hold the plebiscite in J&K if Pakistan agreed to implement UNSC Resolutions in their entirety and implemented them under UN supervision.

I have asked this question from Hindus on this net and their answer is, NO! That this IKA trio keeps asking Pakistan to implement withdrawal, the Mujahideen to stop resistance but not asking India if it would hold a plebiscite as it promised. IKA exists only on the TV screens and news in the Indian press. Clearly this is subversive group working for India.

+ Usman Khalid +

11-08-2005, 07:39 AM

Not sure if this has been posted..

http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/08volck...?q=tp&file=.htm

Professor Haridarshan Singh Mejie (75) interview..

He gives clean chit to SG. But mentions Antulay. But why is he talking ? And why is he naming Nutwar ? I am totally confused.

11-08-2005, 07:49 AM

QUOTEHe gives clean chit to SG. But mentions Antulay. But why is he talking ? And why is he naming Nutwar ? I am totally confused
Nutwar and Jagat denied any involvement, he never visited Iraq etc, but Mejie told TV channels that they had dinner in his house in middle east. He is familiar with whole deal between Jagat/Nutwar etc.
Sonia was not there for dinner but it doesn't mean she is not involved. Where is money? Follow money and they can track traitors.

11-08-2005, 08:07 AM

QUOTEIs it Shani? Natwar turns to astrologer
Azmath
[ Tuesday, November 08, 2005 12:02:34 amTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
BANGALORE: Natwar Singhâs astrologer Rajaguru, say sources, stayed in a prestigious club in Delhi for three days and returned to the Bangalore on Monday after meeting the minister.

Some pujas and âhomasâ are being planned at temples in Sringeri, Kollur Mookambika and Kukke Subramanya â frequented by the high and mighty â to seek divine help for Singh and his family. The Union minister came across the astrologer three years ago when his daughter-in-law committed suicide.

"Their (the astrologer and Natwar Singhâs family) relationship is so strong that the ministerâs wife introduced her brother Amarinder Singh (the Punjab CM) to the astrologer after some hawala-related corruption charges were levelled against his son in October 2004. After this, the CM and his family visited Kollur and Sringeri temples along with the astrologer to perform pujas," sources said.

timesofindia.indiatimes.c...287629.cms  <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' />

11-08-2005, 10:43 PM

QUOTE(Mudy @ Nov 8 2005, 08:07 AM)<div class='quotetop'>QUOTEIs it Shani? Natwar turns to astrologer
Azmath
[ Tuesday, November 08, 2005 12:02:34 amTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
BANGALORE: Natwar Singhâs astrologer Rajaguru, say sources, stayed in a prestigious club in Delhi for three days and returned to the Bangalore on Monday after meeting the minister.

Some pujas and âhomasâ are being planned at temples in Sringeri, Kollur Mookambika and Kukke Subramanya â frequented by the high and mighty â to seek divine help for Singh and his family. The Union minister came across the astrologer three years ago when his daughter-in-law committed suicide.

"Their (the astrologer and Natwar Singhâs family) relationship is so strong that the ministerâs wife introduced her brother Amarinder Singh (the Punjab CM) to the astrologer after some hawala-related corruption charges were levelled against his son in October 2004. After this, the CM and his family visited Kollur and Sringeri temples along with the astrologer to perform pujas," sources said.

timesofindia.indiatimes.c...287629.cms  <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' />
[right][snapback]40835[/snapback][/right]
</div>

That's it. LOOT MARO. TEMPLE JAO. <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' />

11-08-2005, 11:00 PM

Nutwar ji ka Shani Vakar , Mangal neech, Rahu in 12 House, looks like only place he will get peace is Jail. Visit temple, make some donation, he may get VVIP jail where Shahbuddin etc are enjoying Indian Tax money.

11-08-2005, 11:07 PM

QUOTEFailing in a crisis

Swapan Dasgupta
Monday, November 07, 2005Â 21:43 IST

Regardless of whether K Natwar Singh remains as India's external affairs minister or departs, kicking and screaming, the events of the past 10 days have sullied India's reputation as a mature democracy. It is not the allegations of receiving bribes and paying kickbacks that alone should prompt outrage. The Paul Volcker report makes it quite clear that financial hanky-panky was by no means the prerogative of India. Indeed, compared to politicians and business groups in the countries which constitute the permanent membership of the UN, India was a bit player. If it hadn't been for the accident of Natwar being the highest serving politician compromised by Saddam Hussein, the Volcker report would have been relegated to the inside pages of Indian newspapers.

The issue, in a sense, extends beyond the idiosyncratic ways of the last Nehruvian in South Block. The way the Volcker controversy has played out in India is a commentary on the serious deficiencies in our political culture. It is these systemic flaws which will play out much after Natwar becomes either history or a footnote.

At the heart of the problem is the inability of the present UPA Government to handle a crisis. First, the entire government was one in attempting to underplay the significance of an international probe headed by a distinguished former chairman of the US Federal Reserve.

It was simply astonishing that the prime minister initially chose to give a clean bill of health to his cabinet colleague on the strength of the inadequacies of Table 3 of the report. It required the media to inform him that Natwar was being flayed not only on account of Table 3 but also on account of the damning details in Table 1 and 5. The rigour expected from the political head of a country aspiring to be a superpower was completely lacking.

Second, once the grave implications of the Indian references in the Volcker report became clear, the government was completely paralysed. This had very little to do with the UPA government being a multi-party coalition. Apart from the Left, who are not strictly in the government and who were brought into the picture by a beleaguered and disoriented Natwar, the other UPA partners were not party to the decision-making. The Natwar problem was essentially a Congress problem and the party exposed its inner weaknesses to the world. 

By mid-week, especially after the report had been thoroughly dissected, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was convinced that Natwar's continuation in government, or at least in his present job, was untenable. This was also the view of prime minister's senior colleagues. Then, all the government's energies went in trying to persuade Sonia Gandhi that she would have to jettison an old retainer. The PMO knew it lacked the political authority to force a decision. So it went along helping the media create an environment that would make Natwar's continuation in office impossible. In effect, the PMO was reduced to the pathetic position of actually encouraging the media and opposition onslaught on Natwar.

That process took a further three days, by which time Natwar went completely berserk and made inflammatory comments that had the potential to undermine India's diplomatic initiatives with the US. To complicate matters further, the Congress Party, on the advice of a senior lawyer in the cabinet, made a laughing stock of itself by threatening to sue the UN. To compound the mess, Natwar triggered a grave crisis by choosing last Sunday to defy the prime minister's suggestion to submit his resignation. He more or less proclaimed to the whole world his disregard for the authority of the prime minister. This may not save him his job but his show of belligerence has definitely undermined the position of Manmohan Singh.

Regional players like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sharad Pawar and M Karunandhi, not to speak of the Communists, are certain to draw the relevant conclusions from the complete absence of a coherent command structure in the Congress. 

If the prime minister has been shown to lack the gumption to tell a cabinet colleague â that too a man who lacks any political base â to go and jump, and Sonia Gandhi has been exposed as a wavering novice, shifting positions depending on who spoke to her last, there is a clear message for all those intent on extracting their pound of flesh.

The Left realised this some time ago. With the Natwar drama, the weakness and vulnerability of the Government is now an open secret.

From: http://dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=8833&CatID=19


Reponse from a member:
Let us be clear about the facts. We are dealing with a criminal case endangering the financial security of the nation. Why is Finance Minister attending the meetings leading up to the partial ouster of Natwar Singh? The report by Volcker is NOT a US command performance. It is a report of an international commission appointed under UN auspices. [That UN has misued the Oil for Food funds to finance the Commission is a non-political issue and is related to misdemeanour of the international bureaucracy. Sure, Kofi Annan should quit.]

We are concerned about the loot of Bharatiya treasury. As Subramanian Swamy noted, this is a criminal case -- defrauding the exchequer of the nation -- and Sonia as Congress Party President, should be named in an FIR (First Information Report) by the police. Muddled Hon'ble PM Manmohan says that anyone can name a name. Sure, Manmohan ji. In this case, the naming has been done an international commission. Do you remember that you, like me, worked in an international financial institution? There are some norms of financial propriety and accountability. You know them, right?

In this case, Natwar Singh was carrying a letter from the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi and vouchers were issued to the Party. Is he being allowed to continue as a Cabinet Minister without Portfolio since he is a retainer? How can a person under a cloud who is unfit to be Foreign Minister be allowed to participate in Cabinet meetings? The muddled Manmohan has lost all sense of perspective in making his Cabinet a laughing stock of the world.

In all this skull-duggery, how come the Congress Party is still hanging on to the leadership of an Italian Antonia Maino who has evinced no sense of political propriety, excepting playing to the clap-trap of Prakash Karat and his comrades. Natwar Singh behaved as though he was a plant by the Communists in the Congress, revolution by stealth indeed. Since Prakash Karat is the indigenous expert on oil deals, thanks to his pow-wow with Hugo Chavez of Venezuele, he should have been appointed as a one-man committee to exonerate Natwar Singh ! That would have been poetic justice to this communist-controlled UPA government. The Government is a national security risk. Chinese-Comintern, your future is unsafe in the hands of the likes of Natwar Singh and Prakash Karat.

11-08-2005, 11:18 PM

QUOTEPranab Mukherjee causes Natwar Singh to get out
Link
"Mr Singhâs resignation as foreign minister was accepted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is believed to have followed an intense power struggle led by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Mr Mukherjee supports close ties with the United States as opposed to Mr Singhâs preference for China and Russia as crucial allies. Mr Mukherjee also supports the Indian armyâs hardline position on Siachen and the issue of demilitarisation in Jammu and Kashmir." 

Joker President of Congress party had made India laughing stock of world, yesterday all news channels were beaming Nutwar face and his UN bribe story and Indian Government stupidity to keep him in ministry. <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif' />

11-08-2005, 11:49 PM

QUOTESonia must quit, says George Fernandes 
New Delhi

The NDA on Tuesday stepped up its attack on the Congress and the Government on the Volcker report bringing Sonia Gandhi in its line of fire and demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should resign.

Demanding Ms Gandhi's resignation as the chairperson of the National Advisory Council of the UPA's Common Minimum Programme (CMP), NDA convenor George Fernandes said "If Natwar Singh deserved to be deprived of his portfolio, surely, Sonia Gandhi cannot hold on to her responsibilities currently supported by the Public Exchequer."  <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/b_woot.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='b_woot.gif' />

11-09-2005, 01:01 AM

QUOTEAmbika Soni you are wrong , educate yourself 
http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2005/11/...ng-educate.html

"It is quite natural for the Congress president to give a letter to the Head of a Government as Congress maintains ties with many countries," . Congress general secretary Ambika Soni .

SHE IS WRONG : Any correspondence with the head of another nation needs to be cleared by the Indian Government that was in power at that time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Natwar Singh of the UPA Government was in opposition when he carried a letter from the Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the Iraqi president Saddam Hussain. As Sonia Gandhi or her Congress party was not in power, any correspondence with the head of another nation needs to be cleared by the Indian Government that was in power at that time. Apparently Sonia Gandhi alias Antonia Maino was offering her service to Saddam Hussain with out the knowledge of the Indian government and subsequently forced Indian government to pass a resolution in favour of Iraq in our parliament. This action of Sonia is nothing but treachery for which she and her agent Natwar Singh was paid handsomely with oil bribe. It is for the first time an Indian political party is proven to be on the payroll of a dictator of another nation and our nation is shamed beyond repair, by the UN report in which Congress party of Sonia and the Indian FM are named as parties that received bribes. We Indians have a right to know what Sonia wrote to Saddam Hussain and Sonia should be prosecuted as an international criminal for treachery and corruption and she should be stripped of her Indian citizenship

11-09-2005, 04:28 AM

http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/08anand...?q=tp&file=.htm

Some guy Anand K Sahay wrote this. Does anybody know him ? At the end of column it says..

QUOTEAnand K Sahay is a visiting professor at the Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi

Anyway gist of article is

1 KNS is innocent on technical grounds - inability to properly investigate.
2 KNS is innocent as no Indian law is broken.
3 KNS is innocent as its too taxing (tax money wise as well as emotionally) to investigate this.

11-09-2005, 09:34 PM

'India has done the right thing on Volcker report'QUOTEThere has been talk about Natwar Singh suing the United Nations. What kind of action would that entail? Has it been done before?

No, that's going to be a problem because the UN benefits from the privileges and immunities that are not only enshrined in the charter of the UN but in all cases the countries acceding to the UN charter have passed domestic laws granting privileges and immunities to the UN. So I don't think even in the laws of India it would be possible to sue the UN

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