Don't have info on Swiss a/c then give affidavit: CIC to MEA

NEW DELHI: The CIC has directed the External Affairs Ministry to submit an affidavit that it does not have any information about the Indians who have stashed their black money in Swiss banks or about investigations in such matters.

The Central Information Commission's order comes barely days after the Supreme Court questioned the government for keeping under wraps the names of individuals who have stashed blackmoney in foreign banks.

"The Commission directs the CPIO, MEA to submit his affidavit affirming on oath on a non-judicial stamp paper the fact that neither any list of the account holders nor any other information about such investigation, information whereof has been sought by the applicant is available on record," Information Commissioner Annapurna Dixit said.

The direction to submit the affidavit within three days came after the MEA denied having any records pertaining to the accounts held by Indians in Swiss Banks for depositing their blackmoney and said that no such information has ever been provided by the European country.

The case relates to an RTI application filed by one Promod Chawla who sought to know from the Cabinet Secretariat if Swiss and German governments passed any information about accounts held by Indian nationals in their banks, the details of such accounts and steps taken by the government to investigate such accounts.

The application was forwarded, under the provisions of the transparency law, to the MEA to provide a suitable reply.

The Ministry said no such information is available with it and that Finance Ministry is renegotiating the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with Switzerland.

Chawla then filed an appeal with the Central Information Commission saying he was not satisfied with the reply provided by the MEA.

Information Commissioner Dixit directed the MEA officials to again search the records and provide information to the applicant.

During the hearing, MEA again reiterated that no records pertaing to information about blackmoney deposited in foreign banks could be traced by it.

After going through the arguments of both sides, Dixit pointed out that according to MEA there is no record of any list of Indians holding secret accounts in Swiss Banks or elsewhere, provided by Government of Switzerland or by any other country to MEA, as also no record of any such information having been submitted by Indian Ambassadors.

She directed the official to submit a copy of a duly sworn and attested affidavit with the Commission and RTI applicant before January 20.