Janata Party president and former union minister for law and justice, Subramanian Swamy has petitioned the prime minister for his go ahead to prosecute UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for, as swamy alleges, abetting Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi obtain commission in the Bofors gun purchase. The sanction has been sought under sections 11 and 13 of the prevention of corruption act. Gandhi being the chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) holds the cabinet rank and Section 19 of the act mandates the PM’s approval before such a person is prosecuted.

He has alleged that Gandhi facilitated Quattrochi’s escape from the country in 1993 by influencing the Narashima Rao government which was then in power. She has been further accused of the union law minister in 1995 to enable the businessman get his London accounts de-frozen and decamp scot free with over $ 200 million (about Rs 1000 crores).

The petition has also alleged that the UPA chairperson has illegally held about Rs 10.000 crores, received as a legatee in 1991 following her husband Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, in Swiss bank accounts. Swamy has also produced an admission on record of the spokesperson of the Russian government that she had received commissions on Indo-Soviet trade.Swamy has catalogued offenses committed by Sonia Gandhi since 1974, showing her as an habitual offender.