Sten Lindström interview: Bofors whistleblower exposes Rajeev Gandhi

Sten Lindström, the former head of the Swedish police who led the investigations into the Bofors-India howitzer deal, speaking exclusively to Republic TV suggested that it was former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who strategised how the bribe would be received.

Speaking to Republic TV's editorial advisor Chitra Subramaniam, Lindström revealed that all pay-off connected to the Bofors deal was planned by late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Lindström now 71, was the whistleblower, who leaked over 300 documents including details of payment instructions to banks and a diary Bofors Managing Director Martin Ardbo that contained several sensitive information.

The former Swedish police revealed that in 1986, on a flight from India, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had suggested that Sweden's Prime Minister Olof Palme should also receive funds from Bofors for his own purposes. And it was after this conversation, 50 million Swedish Krona was shifted to a foundation, and 30 million of this was used for the economic development of a region in Sweden. 

Bofors chief investigating officer Sten Lindstrom makes sensational claim. Watch him speak LIVE with Arnab up next. #RepublicExposesBofors pic.twitter.com/DSNCFxKQea

— Republic (@republic) July 23, 2017

Here are the excerpts from his interview to Republic TV.

Here are the people being spoken of:

Olof Palme - Prime Minister of Sweden
Rajiv Gandhi - Prime Minister of India
Martin Ardbo - Former Bofors chief and point person for Bofors' India contract
Sten Lindstrom - Chief investigator

The conversation:

STEN: Yes. They said that he [Martin Ardbo] had been on a flight from India in early night in 1986 and in that flight, Olof Palme and PM Rajiv Gandhi had been as well and they had discussed payments because Rajiv Gandhi wanted Mr. Olof to receive funds for Bofors for purpose of his own. Whatever (purpose). Mr. Olof suggested that if that was necessary, some funds would go to funds in Bofors' name foundation, for development of industry and employment in the name of Bergslagsfonden

CHITRA: That is very interesting. You are saying that the suggestion to take some money from Bofors for Sweden or the party came from Rajiv Gandhi?
 
STEN: Not to take it...it was suggested from him that Mr Palme would receive money for some purpose of his own. Whatever (purpose). And it was decided that 50 million Swedish Krona would go to this fund…I don't exactly know if it...you know there have been funds before. Bofors had a foundation for development of the industry in the region. But they created a new foundation for this money from Bofors. That was connected to the sale of the guns to India. You understand? 
 
CHITRA: Well this is quite big, you know on this story Mr Lindstrom there has always been a suspicion that where some money is being paid back to Sweden and this is the first time that...what you're saying makes that link. It's never been made before 
  
STEN: No it hasn't been made, but as you say, the suspicion…as in some way was done…this might be the explanation then. 
  
CHITRA: So you then visited Orebro [location in Sweden] to figure out if this foundation was actually a setup and this was following a Letter Rogatory from India [issued by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government], right? 
 
STEN: Yes the purpose of the investigation was to look into how this money has been handled — who benefitted from it. And it was found that 30 million of this 50 million had been used to support some factories and workshops in the region of Bergslagen. So it was used as it was statuted in the statute of the foundation. 
 
CHITRA: So this is a conversation that took place between Mr Rajiv Gandhi and Mr Olof Palme to which Martin Ardbo was a witness. 
 
STEN: Yes 
 
CHITRA: But now looking at it, it looks like a quid-pro-quo doesn't it? Like the note that you have shared says that it would make things easier for India to get some monies if some monies were also taken in Sweden. 
 
STEN: Yes that is how it looks. Yes.  

• bofors
• rajiv gandhi bofors