Friday, December 2 2005 13:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a sensational disclosure, India's Ambassador to Croatia Anil Mathrani today (Nov 02, 2005) claimed that Natwar Singh, who was stripped off the External Affairs Ministry portfolio after being named in the Volcker committee report on Iraq's oil-for-food scam, had received oil allotment from Saddam Hussein's regime for his 'personal services'.

Mathrani, who worked closely with Singh in the AICC Foreign Affairs Cell before Congress came to power, told sources that both the allotters of oil coupons; Singh and the Congress, 'exactly the same'.

"The fact of the matter is that both allotters in my view are exactly the same, one has been to Natwar and the other one to the Congress Party. One for Natwar's personal services. Don't forget that he has been the one who has been expousing Iraq's cause", he said.

Mathrani said Natwar's son Jagat and his 'cousin' Andaleeb Sehgal had joined the delegation in Iraq in 2001 and stayed with them at the same hotel owned by the then ruling Baath Party.

He claimed that the former External Affairs minister told the Iraqi Ambassador that he would like his son to accompany him as it would be a difficult journey.

"When we reached the airport, Jagat Singh came there and he took the flight with us. At the airport (in Baghdad) we were received by Indian embassy officials and taken to Hotel Intercontinental. After we assembled in the lobby Andaleeb Sehgal appeared," he said.

Natwar then introduced Andaleeb as "his son's cousin and somebody who is familiar with Iraq and whose visit to Iraq was timed at the same time by coincidence", Mathrani said.

Mathrani claimed that both Jagat and Andaleeb were present at the dinner hosted by the then Indian Ambassador to Iraq.

The hotel 'Al Rashid' where the delegation stayed was a Baath Party hotel and "all who stayed there were guests of the party. Now you see the transition in Baghdad. Jagat became part of the delegation and he and Andaleeb checked-in with us.

"You can't check into a Baath party hotel unless you are a part of the delegation. So local hospitality from the Iraqi's was offered to Jagat and Andaleeb which they accepted", he said.