“Getting accommodation in Delhi isn’t a child’s play, what with migrant labourers and unemployed people from rural areas and neighbouring states flocking into the city.”

“Since 1985,” said Mr. Thunholm, “when the Bofors contract was signed, senior company executives had to visit New Delhi at frequent intervals and our Indian agent looked after booking lodgings for them. He used to go into the squalid Trans-Yamuna resettlement colonies and book ‘jhuggi jhonpuroes’ and one-room tenement shanties and ‘barsatis’”

“How much was he paid for this service?” the Swedish Radio interviewer asked.

“To the best of my knowledge,” Mr. Thunholm replied., “he was paid about Rs 55 crores.”

“Rs 55 crores!”

“Yes,” said Mr. Thunholm, “getting accommodation in Delhi isn’t a child’s play, what with migrant labourers and unemployed people from rural areas and neighbouring states flocking into the city.”

Continuing Mr. Thunholm said, “Our Indian agent also supervised transport arrangements for the visiting Bofors executives.”

“What transport arrangements?” the Sedish interviewer queries.

“Well.” Said Mr. Thunholm, “flagging down and hiring tongas and autorickshaws in Delhi is a tough proposition, what with high end Mercedes cars with diplomatic number plates and BMWs of the scions of the ‘nouveau riche’ whizzing around.”

“Then our Indian agent provided telex and telephone services to our executives.”

“What telephone and telex services?” the Swedish radio interviewer asked.

“Well,” said Mr. Thunholm, “he used to stand by old telex machine and pull off the rolls an odd message or two and he also used to ring up the ‘YIME’ service of Delhi Telephones and help our executives to accurately set their watches and for this service, he was again a nominal Rs 30 crores.

“Our Indian agent also oversaw transit arrangements?”

“What transit arrangements?” the Swedish Radio interviewer asked skeptically.

“Well,” said Mr. Thunholm, “our executives had to go down to the army establishment at Nashik for gun evaluation trails and our Indian agent used to stand outside a ‘dhaba’ on the Delhi-Agra-Mumbai national highway and stop fully laden National Permit trucks and tried to persuade their drivers and cleaners to take our executives up to Nashik sitting on cement bags and steel rods and for this service, I think he was paid about Rs 60 crores.”

“So Bofors paid their Indian agent only for administrative services and not for making under-the-table commissions and kickbacks to Indian politicians and bureaucrats to clinch the gun contracts?” the Swedish Radio interviewer asked.

“That’s the exact factual position,” said Mr. Thunholm, “as I’ve seen repeatedly saying, Bofors’ conscience is clear and it has nothing to hide.”