Tuesday, December 6 2005 15:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate chief Sudheer Nath yesterday (Dec 5, 2005) left for Iraq in connection with the probe into fresh charge that Union Minister Natwar Singh had received oil vouchers from Saddam Hussein regime.

Official sources said Nath is leading a three-member team of ED officials to Iraq.

The ED Director is likely to interact with officials of the Iraqi Government to ascertain what transpired during the visit of Congress delegation led by Singh in 2001.

Nath will try to find out whether there was any documentary evidence showing that Singh had received oil vouchers as alleged by Aniel Matherani, a member of the Congress delegation.

The ED has already questioned Matherani on his return here from Zagreb on his reported allegation against Singh.

ED officials are likely to question Natwar Singh's son Jagat Singh, who is also embroiled in the Iraqi oil payoff controversy.

The ED has already quizzed Jagat's friend and businessman Andleeb Seghal, owner of Hamdan Exports which too figures in the Volcker Committee report that names Natwar Singh as a non-contractual beneficiary of Iraq's oil-for-food programme.