New Delhi: Malaysia-based Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, who allegedly played a crucial role in getting the 155mm Howitzer gun deal awarded to the Swedish arms manufacturer A B Bofors, enjoyed "very close links" with former Premier Rajiv Gandhi's family and many Congress leaders were in regular touch with him, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a Delhi court on September 9.

During arguments on framing of charges in the case, CBI counsel U S Prasad quoted extensively from the statements of the employees of Quattrocchi's firm Snamprogetti, who "confirmed" his proximity to the Gandhi family.

The CBI quoted the drivers of Quattrocchi, who fled to Malaysia in July 1993 and is facing extradition proceedings there, as saying that he used to visit with his wife Maria the residence of Gandhi almost daily and their vehicle was never checked by the special protection group (SPG).

While Gandhi used to be on foreign or domestic trip, his children used to stay at Quattrocchi's New Friends Colony house, Prasad quoted the drivers as having told the agency.

Whenever the mother and sister of Sonia Gandhi came to New Delhi, Maria used to accompany them for shopping, the drivers were quoted as saying.

Prasad showed to the court the log-books maintained by the drivers from February 23, 1989 and May 11, 1993, and claimed that the log-books of the period prior to 1989 had been destroyed by Snamprogetti.

According to the statement of Snamprogetti's receptionist Manju Ganesh, recorded by CBI, Quattrocchi was in regular touch with several senior Congress leaders including Capt Satish Sharma, Brahmdutt, Vasant Sathe, Buta Singh, H R Bhardwaj, K Natwar Singh and Naval Kishore Sharma, the agency counsel said.

PTI