By IANS
New Delhi : Former external affairs minister Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh Friday moved the Delhi High Court challenging its order that had dismissed their appeal seeking directions to the Enforcement Directorate to provide them with documents relating to the UN's oil-for-food programme in Iraq.
Admitting the petition by the father-son duo, a division bench headed by Chief Justice M.K. Sarma posted it for hearing Aug 2.
While rejecting their pleas for the document, Justice B.D. Ahmed had cited some apex court ruling and said last month only those documents relied upon by the Enforcement Directorate to prosecute them should be supplied to them.
"In the light of the Supreme Court judgments, I cannot hold otherwise," Justice Ahmed had said, adding, "let's hope that law further develops on the issue".
Singh had filed a petition in May 2006 seeking direction to the ED for the supply of the documents, contending that during the interrogation, the sleuths had asked him and his son certain questions which were not connected with the scam.
Singh had alleged that the ED was harassing him by summoning for questioning in the Oil-for-food scam without providing relevant documents.
Counsel Arvind Nigam appearing for Singh had contended that the Justice R.S. Pathak Authority, constituted by the central government, had given clean chit to Singh. "Singh is not a contractual beneficiary," he added.
"The Pathak Authority had established that there was no material to prove that Singh had any financial benefits from the deal," said Nigam.
The Government had also accepted the report and tabled it on the floor of Parliament in August 2006, he had contended.
Opposing Singh's pleas, Additional Solicitor General P.P. Malhotra had argued that the former minister had been summoned for questioning as there was some prima facie evidence against him.
Jagat Singh, his business associate Andaleep Sehgal, his father Suman Sehgal, businessman Vijay Dhar, his son Vikas Dhar, Youth Congress leader Jameel Zaidi and Asad Khan were allegedly involved in the 'cash for oil scam' during the Saddam Hussain regime in Iraq.
The ED was inquiring into the benefits derived by Indians in the scam brought out by the Volcker Committee report of the United Nations. It is alleged that the suspects had earned a commission by selling petroleum products given on voucher by deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussain under the UN's oil-for-food programme between 1996 and 2003.