Examination of Witness (Questions 780
- 786)
TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2001
MR SAROSH
ZAIWALLA
780. Returning to the events where Keith Vaz
would come to your office two or three times a year perhaps, from
roughly when he became a Member of Parliament to roughly the time
you moved offices, about six years. Would you have records of
when those events were and who attended them?
(Mr Zaiwalla) If I go through the files, there would
not be any tabulated record, but if the invitation was sent by
letter, if you look at all the copy letters, the files those days
were not computerised.
781. I am not asking you to do it and I am not
saying it may matter.
(Mr Zaiwalla) There would be some record and we can
also get a record from the Law Society booking of the dining room.
782. That is where they were held?
(Mr Zaiwalla) Most of my events were held there.
783. There is some kind of audit trail that
is possible to find, if it matters?
(Mr Zaiwalla) Yes. The way those events were held,
a VIP would come from abroad and then I would call a few people
and one or two potential clients to be there.
784. Lastly, the calendar that was associated
with Mr Vaz, if I can put it gently. The cheque was made to the
printers called Wildberry. Do you happen to know if they have
any link with Mapesbury?
(Mr Zaiwalla) No.
785. You do not know?
(Mr Zaiwalla) No.
Chairman
786. Thank you, Mr Zaiwalla, for coming along
and answering our questions.
(Mr Zaiwalla) Sir, may I make one request? I am very
concerned that your report does not damage me further from the
point of view of the allegations which Mr Milne has made. In one
of the complaint letters to Mrs Filkin, Mr Milne has alleged that
I was involved in the Bofors case in India and alleged that I
had received $50 million, which was a completely and utterly malicious
falsehood. My firm only acted as solicitors for the Bachchan brothers,
who were alleged to have received the kickback. We won that case
and we only received professional fees of some £80,000. I
am very anxious that, if you exhibit any part of that allegation
as part of the accompanying documents, the Indian press will take
it up. This is a trap that Mr Milne has set and that is how I
got damaged last time around. I wondered if you would expunge
those false, malicious allegations against me that I received
money in the Bofors case.
Chairman: We may wish to take account
of that. Thank you very much.
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