Who will get that crores of bribe and black money stashed away in secret accounts in Swiss and other foreign banks? Sonia Gandhi can. But will she?
"Dear Government… I am going to have a serious talk with you if I ever find anyone to talk to."
— Stieg Larsson in his best - selling novel.
The problem faced by the present UPA Government in getting back the bribe and black money amounting to $1,456 billion as on 2009 stashed away in secret accounts in Swiss and other foreign banks is: Whom to talk to?
And the same is the problem faced by Ram Jethmalani and our hoi polloi, Aam Aadmi. However, Jethmalani being an unparalleled criminal lawyer decided to talk to the Supreme Court and filed a PIL. The matter is pending.
India has indeed signed Tax Information Exchange Agreement with some 10 countries that do offshore banking but not with the Swiss Bank which holds the major amount. As we know, the notorious Wiki Leaks did get some names of Indians too but for some understandable reason, the names were not disclosed to the public. Some names were, however, given to Supreme Court, in a sealed envelope, according to reports.
Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Manmohan Singh and Jethmalani
Under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) India was able to get 26 names from Germany but the Indian government is refusing to disclose the names. The revised DTAA with Swiss government is yet to be approved by the Swiss authority, but under this India can only ask for bank account details for deposits dating from January 1, 2011. What about those earlier cases? Your guess is as good as mine.
Whatever the agreements or the efforts (mostly half - hearted) may be, the critical point is India did not get the money back. The worry is that it is not likely to get that money, now or in future. Did we not allow Quattrochi to collect that Bofors loot which was frozen and could have surely gotten back?
And let us remember, India has more black money than the rest of the world combined, according to the data provided by the Swiss Bank. So what do we do? Can we do anything at all to get that money back, like Obama's America did last year?
Before I or any of our readers could answer this question positively, that is — "Yes, we can," let me narrate a story. And after reading this story, if you are cocksure of your positive answer, "Yes we can," I can only call you an inveterate optimist far removed from the realities of Indian situations and as one not understanding the mind of an Indian. This is why I said at the beginning that if anyone can, it is Sonia Gandhi. She is not of Indian origin, though an Indian citizen and she is the de - facto ruler of our country today under UPA Government.
What you are going to read now is just a synopsis of a short story written by Jeffrey Archer, considered as "probably the greatest storyteller of our age." The title of the story is "Clean Sweep Ignatius" and he has written it on the well - founded assumption that money ending up in private Swiss bank secret accounts is safe for the depositor and can never be ferreted out from the banks by any government. After all, government means men with authority like Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in India today. It is not as if there is no one in the government to talk to as rhetorically written by Stieg Larsson and quoted above at the beginning. So here we go:
There was a politician in Nigeria by name Ignatius Agarbi. In his ideals he was like our Ram Jethmalani, Anna Hazare or Baba Ramdev. He was keen on ending graft and corruption that was rampant in his country and keen on bringing the money stashed away by Nigerian citizens in the Swiss Bank. Just like Indian citizens. Appreciating his concern and enthusiasm, Ignatius Agarbi was appointed Nigeria's Finance Minister by the Head of State General Otobi.
Within days of his appointment, he had put an official in the Ministry of Trade in jail for falsifying documents relating to the import of grains. Remember why Natwar Singh lost his job as a Minister? Here it was petroleum from Iraq.
Next he banished a leading Lebanese financier from Nigeria for breach of the Exchange Control regulation. Soon thereafter, he got the Inspector General of Police, no less, arrested for accepting bribe. He was sentenced to jail too. Unlike in India where arrest may happen but never a sentence and jail. And some sentences are not executed as in the case of many death sentences!
All this made him a very popular Minister in a country where in 17 years there were 17 Finance Ministers! Media began to admire and glorify him. Just as Rajiv Gandhi was hailed as Mr. Clean till Bofors scandal hit him, this Finance Minister Ignatius Agarbi was hailed as "Clean Sweep Ignatius," the new broom that he was like, to sweep away every corrupt man who came his way.
In 17 years, Ignatius was the only Finance Minister who had entered second year in office. Honesty and integrity of Ignatius paid off. He was so trusted that he alone was now allowed to check, vet and authorise all foreign contracts worth over one hundred million dollars. One day, the Head of State General Otobi called him to his office and expressed his suspicion that Nigeria was still losing millions of dollars each year in bribes paid to go - betweens [like Quattrochi, Adnan Khashoggi, Hasan Ali and others in India] by foreign companies from whom Nigeria bought defence and other industrial as also consumer items. "I suspect a great percentage of the money is ending up in private Swiss Bank accounts but I am at present unable to prove it," the General said.
That responsibility of tracking the names was given to the Finance Minister Ignatius by the General with full authority of the rank of Ambassador Plenipotentiary to enable his travel and make interviews abroad authentic and easy.
To cut a long short-story short, Ignatius was also given a pistol by the General for his personal protection while on a dangerous mission like this. So be it.
In the month of August when most of the Nigerians, high and mighty, went on holiday, Ignatius got air ticket for himself and his family booked, not to Switzerland but to Orlando in US and asked his PA to charge the cost to his personal account. Honesty! [… and unlike our Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia!] In order to keep his travel plan secret even from his wife and children, he left his family behind in Orlando to enjoy Disneyland and left for New York on official business from where he boarded a Swiss Air flight for Geneva unobserved.
Next day morning, Ignatius studied the list of banks he had so carefully drawn up after a lot of research. He selected one important bank and telephoned for appointment with its Chairman. The appointment was fixed for 12 O' clock.
Ignatius, carrying only a battered briefcase and, of course, that pistol, arrived at the bank and was received warmly by the Chairman. After exchanging courtesies, they got down to business. Ignatius told the Chairman that he was sent by the Head of State to discover which Nigerian citizens hold numbered accounts with his bank.
"I am not at liberty to disclose," said the Chairman. Ignatius played all his cards to charm, persuade, promising more business from the State to get the names of the Nigerian account holders in the bank. But failed. Ignatius then threatened the Chairman that in that case Nigeria would stop all future dealings with any Swiss National. That too did not work. The Chairman was adamant. He said he could not alter his attitude to his customers' confidentiality. That was it.
Ignatius, helpless, got up and pressed the pistol against the Chairman's temple. The list or your life. I need those names, said the Clean Sweep Ignatius. "Get me the names of every Nigerian who holds an account in your bank," Ignatius demanded, "Or I will blow your brain out." The Chairman said, No. Of course, he was sweating.
"Excellent," said Ignatius, as he removed the pistol from the Chairman's head. Ignatius picked up his battered briefcase by the side of his chair and placed it on the Chairman's table in front of him. He flicked it open. There were crisply packed rolls of hundred dollar bills amounting five million dollars.
And his famous last words to the Swiss Bank Chairman: "I wonder sir," said Ignatius, "how I go about opening an account with your bank?"
I wonder if Jeffrey Archer wrote this short - story inspired by the Indian government!
Therefore, listen Aam Aadmi of my country, who will bell the cat? Who will get us our money illegally stashed away in Swiss bank? Sonia Gandhi? She is the last hope. Otherwise it would be like Clean Sweep Ignatius, business as usual.
