Leave Swiss Banks Alone

Daredevil

On Vacation!
Super Mod
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
11,615
Likes
5,772
Leave Swiss Banks Alone

By PIERRE BESSARD
Zurich

LAST week, an American client of the Swiss bank UBS admitted to filing a false tax return and concealing millions in Swiss bank accounts. For some people, his plea will just confirm their impression of Switzerland as a haven for criminals or dictators who want to protect their funds from taxes or oversight.

But for us here in Switzerland, our financial privacy laws are a foundation for individual dignity and basic property rights.

Unfortunately, the confidentiality that is the hallmark of Swiss banking is coming under increasing pressure. The global economic crisis has led some governments to intensify efforts to seek tax revenue abroad — and Switzerland, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of all offshore private wealth, is a natural target.

Earlier this year, Switzerland was put on a “gray list” by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and threatened with financial sanctions, leading the government to provisionally renegotiate tax agreements with a dozen countries so far. Most of those agreements would require Switzerland to hand over individuals’ financial information for tax purposes in accordance with the organization’s standards.

The United States Justice Department went even further and filed a lawsuit against UBS, seeking the names of 52,000 account holders suspected of hiding money from the Internal Revenue Service. (The United States and Switzerland agreed in principle on Friday to settle the matter out of court.)

Switzerland, which is home to an impressive number of global corporations, has also come under fire from the European Union for offering too-favorable tax rules, including exemptions for income earned abroad. But what critics forget is that these practices also benefit other countries. Swiss firms alone employ hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and Germany, for example. Subsidiaries of multinational corporations usually pay income taxes where they operate, so having their headquarters in Switzerland can help companies avoid multiple taxation in high-tax countries, thereby safeguarding productive capital for investment.

Until recently, the Swiss government had steadfastly insisted on Swiss sovereignty and refused to provide assistance to other governments in cases of tax evasion — that is, cases in which a taxpayer failed to declare income, either intentionally or unintentionally. While tax fraud is considered a crime here, tax evasion is not (though it can be subject to fines).

This Swiss peculiarity of considering tax evasion as a mere administrative offense has a long history. We think government exists to serve us, not the other way around. We understand that we have to pay taxes — and we do, with numerous studies showing that the Swiss are extraordinarily honest about paying what we owe — but we do not think it is the government’s role to intrude on our privacy and wrench them from us.

This attitude goes back to Switzerland’s founding in the 13th century. The original Swiss communities’ resentment of what they saw as the Hapsburgs’ oppressive taxes helped push them to claim their independence in 1291.

Today, Swiss citizens continue to vote on any tax increases in referendums (and sometimes even accept them). These healthy curbs on government contrast with the Orwellian concept of the “transparent citizen” whose every act is known to government. We see our system as a social pact between citizens and the state.

Swiss privacy laws help preserve basic property rights. Bank secrecy was introduced in 1934, most notably to protect the identities and assets of Jews in Nazi Germany. (Unfortunately, those same rules made it difficult for some heirs to gain access to these accounts without proper documentation, leading to an out-of-court agreement in 1998 by Swiss banks to pay $1.25 billion to settle Holocaust-related lawsuits.) Corruption, expropriation, crime and the persecution of various minorities remain risks in most of the world. For people threatened by such risks, financial privacy can protect their legitimate property.

Some would argue that Swiss bank accounts offer the same protections to criminals, but in fact Swiss provisions against money laundering are tough. Swiss bankers are required to know their clients and the origin of the funds they accept. They must alert the regulators if they suspect criminal behavior.

Banking confidentiality enjoys overwhelming support in Switzerland. According to the latest annual survey by the polling firm M.I.S. Trend, 78 percent favor maintaining the laws as they are, and 91 percent are shown to value their financial privacy. This is especially relevant since Swiss citizens are expected to vote eventually on the renegotiated tax treaties in a referendum.

If the government fails to convince a majority of voters, the treaties won’t enter into force. But if they are ratified as planned, the Swiss government should agree only to an exchange of information in individual cases with reasonable suspicion of tax fraud.

Other governments should see this as a fair compromise. We will not solve the global problem of tax evasion by punishing honest depositors and destroying Swiss traditions.

Pierre Bessard is the president of the Liberales Institut, a research institution.
 

SATISH

DFI Technocrat
Ambassador
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
2,038
Likes
303
Country flag
With Indians hlding trillions of dollars there these people must think how much good that money would be doing when it is outside in the economy...
 

ajay_ijn

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
422
Likes
28
Country flag
Leave Swiss Banks Alone

By PIERRE BESSARD
Zurich

LAST week, an American client of the Swiss bank UBS admitted to filing a false tax return and concealing millions in Swiss bank accounts. For some people, his plea will just confirm their impression of Switzerland as a haven for criminals or dictators who want to protect their funds from taxes or oversight.

But for us here in Switzerland, our financial privacy laws are a foundation for individual dignity and basic property rights.

Unfortunately, the confidentiality that is the hallmark of Swiss banking is coming under increasing pressure. The global economic crisis has led some governments to intensify efforts to seek tax revenue abroad — and Switzerland, which accounts for nearly 30 percent of all offshore private wealth, is a natural target.

Earlier this year, Switzerland was put on a “gray list” by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and threatened with financial sanctions, leading the government to provisionally renegotiate tax agreements with a dozen countries so far. Most of those agreements would require Switzerland to hand over individuals’ financial information for tax purposes in accordance with the organization’s standards.

The United States Justice Department went even further and filed a lawsuit against UBS, seeking the names of 52,000 account holders suspected of hiding money from the Internal Revenue Service. (The United States and Switzerland agreed in principle on Friday to settle the matter out of court.)

Switzerland, which is home to an impressive number of global corporations, has also come under fire from the European Union for offering too-favorable tax rules, including exemptions for income earned abroad. But what critics forget is that these practices also benefit other countries. Swiss firms alone employ hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and Germany, for example. Subsidiaries of multinational corporations usually pay income taxes where they operate, so having their headquarters in Switzerland can help companies avoid multiple taxation in high-tax countries, thereby safeguarding productive capital for investment.

Until recently, the Swiss government had steadfastly insisted on Swiss sovereignty and refused to provide assistance to other governments in cases of tax evasion — that is, cases in which a taxpayer failed to declare income, either intentionally or unintentionally. While tax fraud is considered a crime here, tax evasion is not (though it can be subject to fines).

This Swiss peculiarity of considering tax evasion as a mere administrative offense has a long history. We think government exists to serve us, not the other way around. We understand that we have to pay taxes — and we do, with numerous studies showing that the Swiss are extraordinarily honest about paying what we owe — but we do not think it is the government’s role to intrude on our privacy and wrench them from us.

This attitude goes back to Switzerland’s founding in the 13th century. The original Swiss communities’ resentment of what they saw as the Hapsburgs’ oppressive taxes helped push them to claim their independence in 1291.

Today, Swiss citizens continue to vote on any tax increases in referendums (and sometimes even accept them). These healthy curbs on government contrast with the Orwellian concept of the “transparent citizen” whose every act is known to government. We see our system as a social pact between citizens and the state.

Swiss privacy laws help preserve basic property rights. Bank secrecy was introduced in 1934, most notably to protect the identities and assets of Jews in Nazi Germany. (Unfortunately, those same rules made it difficult for some heirs to gain access to these accounts without proper documentation, leading to an out-of-court agreement in 1998 by Swiss banks to pay $1.25 billion to settle Holocaust-related lawsuits.) Corruption, expropriation, crime and the persecution of various minorities remain risks in most of the world. For people threatened by such risks, financial privacy can protect their legitimate property.

Some would argue that Swiss bank accounts offer the same protections to criminals, but in fact Swiss provisions against money laundering are tough. Swiss bankers are required to know their clients and the origin of the funds they accept. They must alert the regulators if they suspect criminal behavior.

Banking confidentiality enjoys overwhelming support in Switzerland. According to the latest annual survey by the polling firm M.I.S. Trend, 78 percent favor maintaining the laws as they are, and 91 percent are shown to value their financial privacy. This is especially relevant since Swiss citizens are expected to vote eventually on the renegotiated tax treaties in a referendum.

If the government fails to convince a majority of voters, the treaties won’t enter into force. But if they are ratified as planned, the Swiss government should agree only to an exchange of information in individual cases with reasonable suspicion of tax fraud.

Other governments should see this as a fair compromise. We will not solve the global problem of tax evasion by punishing honest depositors and destroying Swiss traditions.

Pierre Bessard is the president of the Liberales Institut, a research institution.
may be Swiizterland doesn't realise still how many countries and general public suffer because of tax evasion.
if Govt doesn't have enough tax revenue, they cannot produce money by printing them, money doesn't grow on trees either, the poor people suffer because govt doesn't have enough money to serve for their needs, look after their welfare, govt suffers from deficit which puts more pressure on budget allocation.

on the other hand Swiss banks enjoy bigger desposit base, allows them to carry out big investments. They know its crime but who cares when ur getting money without being punished.

Switzerland is not being punished. World should agree to do that. As long we don't it seriously, why would Swiss have a problem with getting so much money into their country. They make all kinds idiotic excuses like these to defend. but threatening them financial isolation is the right way to deal with these black-money bankers. This is as big a crime as smuggling.

thats right, may be other countries should organise professional smuggling teams to smuggle goods into Swiss without paying taxes. force Switzerland to suffer from huge budget deficits and make them realise the real issues.

Other governments should see this as a fair compromise. We will not solve the global problem of tax evasion by punishing honest depositors and destroying Swiss traditions.
the only fair compromise is giving back every penny to respective countries which was illegally brought to swiss banks.

honest depositors?
why would any honest idiot take the all pains to put his money to into banks of some other country unless they offer huge interest rates compared to his own countries banks.
 

1.44

Member of The Month SEPTEMBER 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
4,359
Likes
52
Some would argue that Swiss bank accounts offer the same protections to criminals, but in fact Swiss provisions against money laundering are tough. Swiss bankers are required to know their clients and the origin of the funds they accept. They must alert the regulators if they suspect criminal behavior.
Yet still so many people manage to take advantage of the swiss banking system's privacy.
Despite all these measures swiss banking system is extremely vulnerable to money laundering,financing of terrorist organizations etc.

Btw:How many people on DFI have secret swiss bank accounts?:D
 

ajay_ijn

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
422
Likes
28
Country flag
not just evading tax. what about all the govt officials who earned crores by accepting bribes from general public and business persons? don't Swiss idiots atleast realise that.
 

Daredevil

On Vacation!
Super Mod
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
11,615
Likes
5,772
Good that OECD already took steps in isolating switzerland. It has done only when they have started facing recession and needed money badly, otherwise they would have allowed the swiss-banks to have their wayward way.

If swiss-banks doesn't release the information about the account holders, all other countries should financially isolate switzerland by blocking all money transfers to and fro.
 

natarajan

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
2,592
Likes
762
just imagine if we manage to get some 25 lacs crore
we can get some
3 super carrier
lots of nuke submarines,destroyers,cruisers
we can become super power:2guns::2guns:
 

ajay_ijn

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
422
Likes
28
Country flag
i am imagining how can they can be invested in right areas to improve our infrastructure, health, education etc.
 

Sridhar

House keeper
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
3,474
Likes
1,061
Country flag
PM Singh has said in parliament the process has been started to get the money back to India.Any one know more on this ?
 

Daredevil

On Vacation!
Super Mod
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
11,615
Likes
5,772
I remember an interview of Arun Shourie/ Pranab Mukherjee on Devil's advocate. They were pointing at having some names from the swiss-banks through the German government. But the list has not been made public for unknown reasons. Let me try to find a link for this.

Added Later:

This is what I was talking about (read the bold part)

Devil's Advocate: Arun Shourie on black money issue

Karan Thapar / CNN-IBN
Published on Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 02:07, Updated on Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 02:39 in Politics section

Karan Thapar: How important is it to bring back money illegally stashed in foreign tax havens? That is the key issue I shall explore with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Arun Shourie.

Mr Shourie, perhaps no right thinking person can even question the need to bring back money that is illegally stashed in tax havens abroad, three critical questions arise. What is the sum, how do we bring it back and how easy or difficult would it be? And I want discuss today all three with you.

First, LK Advani on March 29 said that as per credible estimates the sum was somewhere between $500 billion and 1.4 trillion. Where did Mr Advani get these figures from?

Arun Shourie: Actually, several studies have been done. The figures actually are much larger than that i.e. the Indian share that might be there. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) paper which was put out on October 2008 cites the range of estimates of money in tax havens. The range of estimates is from $1.5 trillion to $11.5 trillion.

Karan Thapar: But the OECD in fact is about tax abuse rather than illegality per se, tax avoidance and tax evasion.

Cong hits out at petitioners over black money issue
CPI wants Govt to bring back black money from Swiss banks
Arun Shourie: But, even that is illegal. And therefore, it is an underestimate because, for instance, much of it is from trade data.

Karan Thapar: But that is the international figure. Mr Advani is purported to be the Indian share, but where does he get his figure from? Because all I can find is a floating reference on the net which is less than verified, it is not proven and it is probably speculated.

Arun Shourie:Actually, the estimates come from a study on these illegal flows and there is a chart given about India. It is not in the net, it is actually just a complete study.

Karan Thapar: You mean the Global Financial Integrity Report of 2009?

Arun Shourie: And those figures in my view are underestimates because they are based really on trade data. One of the ways in which it is done is, you look at the trade going from India figures and match with the exporting or importing company's underinvocing and overinvocing. And therefore, they don't take into account the Hawala transactions at all.

Karan Thapar:Which no one knows anything about ?

Arun Shourie: Nobody knows about but everybody knows that they are there. Therefore, the figures would be underestimated.

Karan Thapar: Except that we don't have a figure for them, I will come to the Global Financial Integrity survey in a moments time. First let's concentrate on Mr Advani's figure announced on March 29 of a range between $500 billion and $1.4 trillion. The problem is what he said on March 29, seems to contradict what he wrote to the Prime Minister on April 6, 2008. In that letter to the Prime Minister, he says, “It is widely known that trillions of dollars of Indian money are lying in different tax havens.” How within a year have trillions of dollars reduced to possibly just Rs 500 billion?

Arun Shourie: But supposedly if it is only $500 million, that is enough to double our power capacity immediately.

Karan Thapar: I agree, whatever the figure, it must be brought back.

Arun Shourie: Secondly, we are unfortunately, reckoned in the world by Transparency International for instance as being among the most corrupt countries in the world.

Karan Thapar: But that's an opinion, not a fact.

Arun Shourie: It is an opinion based on conversations with businessmen and others who have probably, to pay these amounts.

Karan Thapar:Let's even accept that as a fact, it still does not give us the concrete figure.

Arun Shourie: Yes, there is no figure of the kind in which you can pinpoint and say yes it is $1.4 trillion. That is why a very wide range has been cited of half a trillion dollars to one-and-half trillion dollars of estimates from different sources.

Karan Thapar: Except for the fact that that range may itself be nothing more than guesstimate. It may be wrong, it may be right. We simply don't know its accuracy.

Arun Shourie: That is why a very big range is being given. But supposing you don't have an estimate even of that particular range, the main point, as you said in the very beginning that no right thinking person would say even if there is a $100 billion lying abroad, it must be brought back.

Karan Thapar: I concede that but the point I am making which I would like you to concede is that Mr Advani's figure or range or call it what you will is nothing more than guesstimate. It is not accurate and therefore it can't be considered reliable. It is a guesstimate at best.

Arun Shourie: All estimates based on trade data will be guesstimates.

Karan Thapar: Let's accept that. Let's then come to the Global Financial Integrity Report, which everyone concedes, is perhaps the best most accurate trend that we have. That report says that between the years 2002 and 2006, somewhere between 22 billion and 27 billion were siphoned out of India which totals up to a figure between 113 billion and 136 billion. If you take that as the most best and accurate account that you have, it is just a fraction of what Mr Advani is talking about. So it doesn't corroborate him.

Arun Shourie: Look at the preceeding period, as you rightly said but just very hurriedly that it is the one estimate for a five-year period. Now, if you look at it through the social sphere which all of us live through of controls and licenses and of punitive tax rates. When the incentive and compulsion to take money out of India was much higher, the economy was small but the compulsion was much greater and that was a period of about 40 to 50 years.

PAGe_BREAK

Karan Thapar: So now you are extrapolating and speculating but again, we don't have any credible firmness to the figure. You accept that?

Arun Shourie: Yes, of course.

Karan Thapar: Let's come to the second important issue, which is to ask, how much of this amount, whatever the amount may be is legal and what part of it is illegal.

Now, Mr Advani again on March 29 quoted Wikipedia to say that the total amount of illicit funds in Swiss Bank accounts in 2001 was 2.6 trillion, it had risen by 2007 to 5.7 trillion. But it turns out that that is not illicit money, although he called it that but that is the total deposit in Swiss Bank accounts. The vast majority of that would actually be legal. So once again, Mr Advani has confused the figure.

Arun Shourie:That's a very interesting point. How do you say vast majority, how do you know? Please answer specifically.

Karan Thapar: On the law of assumption, at least 50 per cent would be.

Arun Shourie: This very phrase of yours which you have invented called the ‘law of assumption’, you try to apply that to the figures that you were saying are not credible at all. You have suddenly invented some new law of nature. You just now have said that you know for a fact that the vast proportion of that must be legal money.

Karan Thapar: Let me put it the other way round. Mr Advani said ever single penny of that was illicit.

Arun Shourie: We have to first find out where you got this new argument on the basis of law of assumption.

Karan Thapar:The law of assumption is that if money is lying in a bank account and if you are talking about the whole of Switzerland, the vast majority won't be legal.

Arun Shourie: Which book of logic do you get this new phrase called the ‘law of assumption’ which you will apply only to Mr Advani 's phrases and not to your phrases.

Karan Thapar:I will tell you why I am applying it. Mr Advani said and I am quoting him explicitly, “That the total amount of money in Swiss Banks was this and it is illicit”. It turns out that what he is talking about is the total size of the deposits and all the deposits can't be illegal.

Arun Shourie:Fine. You assume that the amounts from India are in Swiss Banks, we have to now focus on that. Switzerland is a very minor trading partner of India. Swiss Banks are not being used as clearing houses by Indian traders, emporter, exporters of any kind.

Karan Thapar:What's the conclusion?

Arun Shourie: My conclusion is that the most of the money that Indians would have parked in Swiss Banks would be illegal money which they have taken out of India.

Karan Thapar:Let me repeat what you said. Most of the money which Indians have parked in Swiss Banks would be illegal. Let me point out that 20 million NRI have a right to have accounts in Swiss Banks. Clearly, you can't see that their money is illegal. You don't know.

Arun Shourie:And you don't know how many of those 20 million NRIs have accounts in Switzerland. Do you know?

Karan Thapar: No, therefore you can't see most of the money owned by Indians in Swiss Banks is illegal.

Arun Shourie: And therefore you can't come to a conclusion about other people's estimates when you yourself say that you don't know the number NRIs who have money there. You have just now manufactured another law of assumptions. That is no way to deal with other people's guesstimates either.

Karan Thapar:You said most of the money parked by Indians in Swiss Banks would be illegal. I am saying to you that 20 million NRIs can legally keep accounts there and let me add, since 1992, several resident Indians can legally have accounts in Swiss Banks as well. So how do you come to the conclusion that most Indian money in Switzerland is illegal.

Arun Shourie: That is my assumption as was yours about the 20 million NRIs.

Karan Thapar: Let me then put something else to you. If you were to come to power and go to the Swiss banks or to any other tax haven, chasing what you consider or assume to be illegal money, they would ask you for its proof of illegality before they are prepared to part with it. How will you prove the money is illegal?

Arun Shourie: It is a very interesting point. You first get from them, who are the account holders, how much money do they have.

Karan Thapar:Why would they give that to you?

Arun Shourie: Because they are now under pressure to give this. After they have given it to the United States, in the case of UBS, it is the most secretive and largest Swiss Bank.

Karan Thapar:Because of tax evasion.

Arun Shourie: Not only because of that because of the assumption also behind this thing that much of the terrorists money might have been illegally accounted for. Also, because of the pressure of Green parties in Germany and of the pressure of Scandinavian countries.

Karan Thapar: This is the German way of bribing to get the accounts’ details. Are you proposing that India will bribe its way to the Swiss Banks to get details?

Arun Shourie: I am not proposing that. I am saying we can go by bilateral arrangements. United Kingdom has entered into agreements with 40 such countries in tax havens. United States is entering too. My view has been for a long time, yes we should attempt bilateral arrangements but good circumstances have risen that we can go now for multilateral arrangements through G20. G20 people have now said that they will move against tax havens, including the fact that they will go for sanctions against tax havens. Therefore, we should get together with everybody and go for multilateral arrangements in which these people have to disclose the names and the amounts held.

Karan Thapar:What you are talking about is a process that could take three, four or five years possibly. It is unlikely to happen in 100 days, yet what Mr Advani said on Friday, April 17 in Mumbai that within the 100 days of a BJP government coming into place, he would bring back money illegally parked in tax havens. It was quoted by The Indian Express, a paper you are Editor of.

Arun Shourie: I was the Editor there and dismissed twice. I know that everybody's view is that within the first 100 days, we would take specific steps to get the multilateral arrangements, going we will partner with everybody together.

Karan Thapar:You can't get the money in 100 days?

Arun Shourie: The contrast is that just four days ago, the Swiss ambassador was quoted as saying that till now the Swiss government has not been approached at all.

Karan Thapar: Forgive me, I am not sure if that was four days ago. I think the quotation you are referring to was to a rival economic channel and it happened last year, but you are right, he did say it but I don't think it is four days ago.

Arun Shourie: This was quoted by The Times of India four days ago that as of now we have no request from the Indian government.

Karan Thapar: Why does your party believes that the Congress is dragging its feet over this issue of illegal money stashed in foreign tax havens. Mr Advani said that after you wrote to the Prime Minister last year he received a very evasive reply from the Finance Minister. What was evasive about that reply?

Arun Shourie: There are three reasons because of which I feel the Congress is dragging its feet. I will tell you – one is the fact that since April 2008 when it became known independently on Mr Advani’s letter that Germany is willing to part with them to the countries that requested, and second reason is the kind of argument that they have been giving and third is their record.

Karan Thapar: Can I come back on these reasons. The first reason you gave for believing that the Congress is not trustworthy is that until Mr Advani contacted the Prime Minister they had done nothing but the truth is in the reply to Mr Advani’s letter dated May 16, the then finance minister P Chidambaram had said that in February 2009 – two months before Mr Advani wrote the letter – the Finance Ministry had already been in touch with the German tax office and in fact three days back Pranab Mukherjee has revealed that the German tax office has now shared the details with the Indian Government but they have asked the Government to maintain secrecy.

Arun Shourie: But you forgot to mention the extracts of the letter that The Indian Express had published of the Revenue Secretary who was working under Mr Chidambaram then and works under Mr Mukherjee now. He wrote to the Indian Ambassador that don’t worry in asking the Germans, they might feel offended and might think we are questioning their bonafide. What does that reveal? You forgot to mention that letter.

Karan Thapar: Because after three days when Mr Mukherjee has said that Germans have shared the information, that letter has no significance.

Arun Shourie: Wonderful, then we should persue that and we would judge independent of any political parties and pressurise them to get the names.

Karan Thapar: S Gurumurthy, appointed by Mr Advani to the taskforce he has set up, said to the Rediff.com on April 20 that I believe the lead family of the Congress party is a suspect in the matter of foreign money and that is why the family doesn't want the banks' secrecy to be unveiled. Are you suggesting that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra have stashed money in tax havens.

Arun Shourie: You please ask that to Gurumurthy. He is an articulate person, he can answer all your questions.

Karan Thapar: Doesn’t it sound the same as he is saying?

Arun Shourie: In my view all names must be pursued and the names will come out whoever has the money.

Karan Thapar: As a BJP former minister and a senior leader, do you and your party believe that the Gandhi family has stashed foreign money in tax havens.

Arun Shourie: I will not answer to that question. I only know of record of the Congress party exerting itself to protect the interest and the image of the one family which is their only investment.

Karan Thapar: Do you have your suspicions?

Arun Shourie: On Bofors, I always maintained one thing that somebody indistinguishable from the Gandhi family or person who is very close to them in the public eye would be involved.

Karan Thapar: Would you go beyond that now?

Arun Shourie: No. You can ask Gurumurthy and not by saying that I am contradicting him.

Karan Thapar: Yes, you are not contradicting him but you aren’t even confirming it. It was a pleasure talking to you.
 

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top