Sehgal returns and writes back on January 25 asking for allocation. In what is not a coincidence, Masefield’s Nicholas Swan writes on January 26 citing Andaleeb’s visit to Iraq and asking for a visa to accompany him to finalise the contract of what he qualifies as ‘‘political allocation of 2 million barrels of Basrah Light Crude oil.’’

In fact, Ambassador Dayakar told during his deposition before the inquiry that SOMO was probably under the impression that the Congress delegation was an official delegation. ‘‘The Iraqi officials were probably of the belief that Natwar would be able to help their cause in the international community and his influence would be great especially as he was a senior member of considerable standing in the party, the Indian National Congress,’’ states the report.

Pathak has ‘‘found no evidence that the Congress Party was involved in the contract’’. This was the third contract (M/10/57) in which Natwar had written a letter on AICC letterhead but had put 1 Akbar Road as the address. He tried to use this as proof for calling the letter fake during the inquiry until he was told that he had handwritten the same address in the visitor’s book with Indian Ambassador in Jordan.

Natwar then recollected, according to the report, to say this was the address of the Indira Gandhi Trust of which he was a key member. Pathak, however, could not confirm if the Congress delegation had on its return submitted a report to the Congress president as is customary.