New Delhi: Citing "ill health", Arms dealer Suresh Nanda, who is alleged to have received kickbacks in connection with Barak Anti-Missile System and Armoured Recovery Vehicles deals, today failed to turn up before the CBI for further questioning.

Nanda, whose passport was suspended temporarily by the government for four weeks from yesterday, was to have been quizzed again in continuation of the probe on funds received by him from overseas.

The businessman, son of former Naval Chief Admiral S M Nanda, however, conveyed to the CBI that he will not be able to attend as he was down with fever, sources in the investigating agency said.

Nanda has denied any wrong doing and claimed that the money in question had been received through proper banking channels. He has also refuted claims of the CBI that he had a British passport or had obtained the nationality of that country.

The CBI officials said they would get in touch with Nanda and call for a next date as they wanted to conclude the probe at the earliest.

Former Defence Minister George Fernandes and the then Naval Chief Admiral Susheel Kumar is an accused in the Rs 1,150 crore Barak missile deal in the agency's FIR, in which Nanda is alleged to have paid money to the then Samata Party treasurer R K Jain.

The CBI was also awaiting replies to its Letters Rogatory sent to the UK, Mauritius, the UAE and Germany.

Nanda is also an accused in a case on purchase of Armoured Recovery Vehicles being probed by the agency.

According to an FIR filed in a designated court naming Jain, Nanda and other unnamed officials as accused, the CBI alleged that Nanda had approached Jain to stop the contract going in favour of PSP Bohemia of Czech Republic whose bid for 87 ARVs was the lowest at Rs 247.75 crore.

During the opening of price bids on March 6, 1998, the consortium of Slovakia-based Unimpex and BHEL lodged a protest with the Price Negotiation Committee (PNC) of the Defence Ministry alleging that PSP Bohemia was not the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

The PSP Bohemia accordingly submitted a certificate issued by the Trade Ministry of Czech Republic stating that it had the status of OEM.

It was decided by the Defence Ministry to send a team to Czech Republic to check its manufacturing capability, which was, however, turned down by Fernandes after the meeting took place between Nanda and Jain.

"Fernandes, accordingly, vide note dated November 5, 1998 rejected the proposal to send the technical delegation. Thus, the offer of PSP Bohemia, which was the lowest, was dishonestly ignored. Nanda then paid Rs one crore to Jain for getting his work done," the CBI FIR alleged.

Source : PTI