"If this news is true then I consider both the Prime Minister and Congress president guilty (for the withdrawal of the red corner notice against Quattrocchi)," Advani told reporters.

He also described this development as the "last nail in the coffin of the judicial process in respect of the Bofors scandal".

Condemning the CBI's decision, BJP's prime ministerial candidate said, "We will examine Quattrocchi issue" if voted to power.

Advani argued that this action by the UPA government showed its desperation before it is voted out of power. "They are not going to come to power. Else, they would have waited for elections to get over and then take this step," he said.

He said the 1989 general elections were contested on the Bofors issue and "the Rajiv Gandhi government which had won an unprecedented majority in 1984" lost the polls.

Advani, who has raised the issue of Indian black money in tax havens and foreign banks, said the UPA government had "allowed Quattrocchi's account in a London bank to be de-freezed so that he could withdraw his money".

The senior BJP leader said the Narasimha Rao government had also been "soft" on Quattrocchi. "During the Rao government, prime accused Quattrocchi, who was considered close to Sonia Gandhi, was given the opportunity to go out of the country," he said.

Advani said government institutions like the CBI have been "misused" in the last five years when UPA was in power.

The former deputy prime minister said the era of banking secrecy was over and India should work for getting back the black money.

Giving the example of Germany and the new dispensation in the USA, he said the Indian government should show interest in the issue at forums like G-20.