Kuala Lumpur: Delivering a stunning blow to India, a Malaysian High Court on December 13 rejected its plea for extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi to stand trial in Bofors payoff case, observing that the offences alleged against him were "open to doubt".

Dismissing India's review petition for his extradition, Justice Augustine Paul of Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld the Sessions Court verdict earlier this month throwing out the extradition case on the ground that the descriptions of the offences in the requisition papers were "insufficient, vague and ambiguous."

While discharging Quattrocchi unconditionally, the Sessions Court on December 2 had also ordered return of his passport and the bail.

India, through the Attorney General of Malaysia, went to the High Court challenging the Sessions Court verdict.

Justice Paul, in his order observed that charges against Quattrocchi should have been laid against the Sessions Court when it was hearing the extradition petition.

"It is my view that the failure to supply the (Sessions) Court and the respondent with the charges is fatal. Therefore I upheld the Sessions Court verdict and discharge this application," he told a packed court room where Quattrocchi was also present.

"The offences alleged are open to doubt," he said, adding "it will not serve its purpose if a party is left guessing ... from pages and pages of documents that have been supplied."

Quattrocchi later said, "I always had full faith in Malaysian judiciary. I have done nothing wrong. I have nothing to fear."

PTI