A man wanted by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly cheating six Indian state banks of about US$8.5 million and defrauding the government of Vanuatu, has been extradited from Germany in an air ambulance.

Amarendra Nath Ghosh is wanted for questioning about several cases of fraud, including one in which investigators suspect he colluded with Vanuatu's former prime-minister, Barak Sope to forge signatures on letter of credit (L/C) documentation.

Allegations

The CBI alleges that Ghosh conspired with senior bank officials to defraud Allahabad Bank, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, UBI and Andhra Bank in Kolkata between 1994 and 1996. He reportedly forged overdraft facilities and issued false bank cheques.

He is then said to have flown to Dubai and then to Vanuatu, where he allegedly donated large sums of money to the government to curry favour with top politicians.

L/C irregularities

Subsequently, he allegedly colluded with Sope, who was persuaded to sign two L/Cs relating to financial instruments reportedly worth US$300 million.

The former prime minister allegedly signed the documents by forging the signature of the country's finance minister, who alone was empowered to sign such L/Cs according to a CBI official. When the scam was exposed Mr Sope had to face a no-confidence motion and quit his post.

Fugitive lifestyle

Ghosh has been evading arrest by the Indian authorities for several years by hiding in the tiny island state of Vanuatu, Dubai and Germany. He was returned to India by the German authorities even though he tried to avoid extradition by swallowing a 10-centimetre-long knife.

By German law, Ghosh could not be operated upon without his consent but the CBI sent an air ambulance equipped with a state-of-the-art operating theatre to effect his extradition by guaranteeing to meet any medical needs during his flight to India.

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