In one of my Posts earlier this year, I had remarked that some of the Kuwait Airways Sales Managers in offline stations had godfathers back in Kuwait.  These relationships created some problems in discipline and when I raised the issue with the Commercial Director, I was informed that this was peculiar to the culture of the airline and it would be best if I accepted the situation or as was explained to me “turned a blind eye to it”.

I was, however, concerned about some instances that did take place involving Bob Sensi, the Sales Manager in Washington, and on one of my visits to that city, I asked him point blank if he was actually an undercover operative of the CIA.  He denied the association and I kept quiet.  However, my fears were confirmed when Sensi called me one day and asked if he could come to NYC to discuss a matter which he could not speak of on the phone.

Sensi wanted a favor involving the Israeli airline El Al and started off the meeting with a question - do you know David Schneider, the then General Manager - USA of El Al?  The question took me aback and here I feel that I must give some background.

I first met David Schneider when I came to NYC in February 1960 to file a Tariff with the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board, preparatory to Air India’s operations to the USA.  David was, at that time, working in the U.S. Tariffs Division of British Overseas Airways Corporation, now BA.  We needed the expertise of this Division and I worked quite closely with their staff.  In the process, I became friendly with David and on occasion, had dinner at his house in the Bronx.

We kept in touch and met whenever I visited NYC.  I lost touch with him in the late 1970s when I moved to Marketing & Sales.  However, when I took over as head of the US operations of Kuwait Airways, I did meet him at a cocktail party and we promised to meet often; a promise that we did keep on a couple of occasions.

Hence, I was perturbed by the question posed by Bob Sensi and I asked him how on earth, was my association with David Schneider of interest to anyone in the USA?  After detailed questioning, he stated that any “relationship” between a staff member of an Arab airline and a staff member of the Israeli airline was of “interest to the FBI and CIA” and that our meetings had been “noted”.  Sensi also confessed that he was associated with the CIA in some form and that this was with the approval of top management of Kuwait Airways. 

Because of the Official Secrecy Act, I am constrained from divulging details of what transpired at the meeting and the events that followed.  However, some time after the conclusion of this matter, Sensi called and asked if I could meet with one of the main personalities involved who wanted to personally thank me for my assistance.  We agreed on a date which unfortunately, we could not keep and the meeting actually took place after I had left KU and was working with Air Mauritius.

Imagine my surprise and utter delight when Sensi walked into my office accompanied by Muhammed Ali, the famous boxing legend.  Muhammed Ali profusely thanked me for my assistance.  Later, he sent me a photograph of both of us at that meeting.  He had written the words “To Inder Sethi from your friend - Muhammed Ali - 9-3-88”.

I still have this prized possession in my desk.

As an aside to this story, Bob Sensi continued to be associated with the CIA and this landed him in hot water in the late 1980s. At that time, he again came to me for help when he was prosecuted for his part in what I believe was the Iran arms scandal.  Here again, I cannot divulge the facts, except to state that I was subpoenaed by a court in Washington, DC and had to appear before a Judge in his chambers.  The net result was while Sensi’s was sentenced, my evidence helped in his having to serve a lesser amount of time behind bars.

I was, at that time, consulting with PanAm World Airways and I thought that this was the end of my association with Bob Sensi.   I was, therefore,  surprised by a visit from an attorney who said that he was working for Kuwait Airways and was trying to unravel a mystery.  He raised the subject of the Bank account opened by KU in Washington, DC and showed me copies of two telexes exchanged between KU’s Head Office and their Accounts Manager in NYC.  In an earlier Post, I had mentioned that as per the airline’s rules and procedures, KU had opened one Bank at each offline Sales location into which all monies and checks were deposited.

The lawyer asked if I had seen these telexes and I confirmed that indeed, I had because they had raised considerable interest at that time.  KU’s H.O. had asked the Bank in WAS to advise the balance in the account and the Bank had replied giving the amounts held in TWO accounts.  This raised a Flag at H.O. and they asked the Accounts Manager in NYC (with copy to me as the Regional Head) to explain how there were two accounts when only one was authorized.

I recalled that the Accounts Manager had told me that he had spoken with the bank and the mystery had been resolved.  He also confirmed that he had sent a reply to H.O.  When I mentioned this to the lawyer, he stated that I had been misinformed by the Accounts Manager and there were in fact, two accounts.

His investigations had revealed the following:

1. At some point of time in the late 1970s, the WAS Sales office surreptitiously opened a second account under the authority of a very highly placed Kuwaiti who was visiting the city at that time.  When he gave me the name of this gentleman, I realized that not only was he a senior member of the Kuwaiti Government, but also served on the Board of the airline.  According to the terms of this account, it could only be operated by him and Bob Sensi, who was the local Sales Manager.
2. The NYC Accounts office was routinely invoicing the Embassy in WAS for tickets issued to the large number of students studying in the USA and the Embassy was making periodic payments by check to the local KU office.  These were collected personally by the Sales Manager who deposited some of them in the 2nd account.
3. At this juncture of my discussions with the lawyer, it dawned upon me that this was the reason why the local Accounts staff could never reconcile Invoices with receipts vis-a-vis the Embassy - my earlier Post mentions this issue.  It further clarified why Head Office would not agree to computerize the accounts - top management deliberately wanted to keep the entire issue a secret.
4. The amounts placed in the 2nd account were extremely large and were used to defray expenses authorized by the “very highly placed Kuwaiti” and sent to a country in the Middle East.  And, as we all know, “sticky fingers” came into play.  It appeared the local SM was using some funds for his own benefits.  Interestingly, a check for $50,000 was also issued in the name of the SM - Chicago.  
5. The lawyer asked me if I had personally seen the telex which contained the reply from the Accounts Manager to H.O. regarding the 2nd account and while I remember stating in the negative, I informed him that a copy must be in the office.  KU had a policy to keep a duplicate roll of all telexes - inbound and outbound - and that such rolls were kept in the basement of the ticket office on Park Avenue.  I asked the lawyer to go and check for himself.
6. The lawyer came back next morning with the news that there were no rolls and that this policy had been discontinued by my successor, soon after I had left KU.  All rolls were destroyed after 3 months.
7. At this point, I told the lawyer that I could not be of any further help.

I later learnt that the “very highly placed Kuwaiti” had passed away and that Sensi had been apprehended in London and was behind bars in that city.  It was at that juncture that I received the subpoena to appear before the Judge in WAS.

After my appearance before the Judge, my office received a few calls from KU’s Head Office, asking for me and they were always told that I was out of station.  I had consulted an attorney who advised me to avoid any association with the airline. I had occasion to see some of the airline’s top management at IATA AGM’s which I attended on behalf of Air Mauritius, but very carefully avoided them. Eventually, they gave up trying to contact me.

Meanwhile, Nani Mital took over as the R.D. for North America from Hari Kaul and I enjoyed a good relationship with him.  We met regularly for lunch and he invited me to join a golfing group of Indians who lived in the tri-state area.  In addition, he and P.P. Singh invited me to join them in their annual Golf Outing for Cargo Agents and I was extremely pleased to get to know young PP who, at that time, was AI’s Cargo Manager at JFK.

It was during Nani’s tenure in North America that his office sent over a request to Kuwait Airways asking for free tickets for the wife of the AI Chairman - Mrs. Raghu Raj and two “dependent children”, for travel Delhi/New York/Delhi.  The Manager - USA authorized the tickets and the family traveled to New York and visited Disney World on the west coast.  Nani Mital accompanied them to the west coast and mentioned this visit during one of our lunches.  

My interest was raised because I knew that Mr. Raghu Raj had grown up children and one of his daughters was, in fact, married to the son of one of my first cousins.  At that point of time, it was this couple who had “dependent children”.  So, AI had erred in asking for free tickets for the grand children of their Chairman. When I mentioned this to Nani over an airline luncheon, he requested that I turn a blind eye.

I then asked him if AI had also “looked after” their expenses in the USA; at which point, Nani excused himself from our lunch and later called me to request that our meeting and talk “never took place”. 

Nani Mital’s stint as R.D. came to an end just about the time when Kuwait Airways and I parted company.  I was informed by the then Commercial Director of KU that they had adopted a policy under which all Regional Heads would henceforth be Kuwaiti nationals.  In a couple of my visits to Kuwait, I felt an undercurrent in the Head Office which told me that the young Kuwaitis were getting anxious to take over important assignments from expatriates like myself and it was just a matter of time, when the change would take place.

I was offered a transfer back to Kuwait as Commercial Adviser which I turned down for a number of reasons, of which primarily:

1. Both of our sons were now in American educational institutions and we did not wish to be away from them in their formative years.
2. Our previous experience of living in Kuwait was not a happy one, particularly because of their attitude towards Indians and also towards women.

I was, therefore, surprised when I received a call offering me the post of Regional Manager - Asia.  It was surprising because of their new policy of posting only Kuwaitis as Regional Heads.  Nonetheless, after considerable thought and discussion with Manju, I turned it down as we had now decided to make the USA our home.

KU gave me 8 months time before the termination of my employment and I started looking for alternative job offers.  My target date was June 31, 1986.

I will speak of this next phase of my working career in my next Post.