The Hindu : National : “No response to Swiss request”

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“No response to Swiss request”

Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI: Swiss authorities have told an Indian news magazine that Indian authorities submitted in the case of Pune-based stud farm owner Hassan Ali Khan, who has a Swiss bank account, a request in January 2007 for legal assistance to the Federal Office of Justice. Swiss authorities, upon domestic inquiry, found that the banking information provided with the request for legal assistance contained “forged documents.”

Last week, the Centre, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, had detailed the action it had taken against Hassan Ali Khan, his wife Rheema and Kolkata-based businessman, Kashi Nath Tapuria, who allegedly were holding about $ 8 billion in an UBS account in Switzerland.

In a communication from Folco Galli, Information Chief of the Swiss Department of Justice and Police, Berne, the magazine Hardnews was informed that the Indian authorities had submitted “forged” documents to seek assistance in the Hassan Ali Khan case. In its May issue, the magazine said the Swiss sought more information.

“Swiss authorities want to provide further assistance in that case if the Indian authorities could satisfy the Swiss government’s demand to establish dual criminality – what is crime in India is a crime in Switzerland. The Swiss also wanted to know whether the offence was an object of Indian money laundering. Since April 2007, the Indian government has not responded.”

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