Monday, January 16 2006 18:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Seeking to put a lid on the controversy on de-freezing of bank of accounts of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, CBI today (Jan 16, 2006) said Additional Solicitor General B Dutta went to London in connection with the Bofors case at its directive and neither the Law Ministry nor the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) had any role to play.

"Neither the DOPT nor the Law Ministry have any role to play in sending the Additional Solicitor General to London," CBI Joint Director A K Majumdar told reporters here.

"This is purely a CBI decision and Crown Prosecution of London only communicates with CBI," he said.

Majumdar said CBI has asked the Crown prosecution whether the London High Court has ordered de-freezing of Quattrocchi's accounts in a London Bank.

CBI has informed them about today's Supreme Court order directing the investigating agency to ensure that money was not withdrawn from the accounts by Quattrocchi, he said.