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IAF ex-chief Tyagi, 10 others named by CBI in
chopper case
Monday February 25, 2013 10:38:37 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi: Based on
the material its team got from Italy, the CBI Monday registered a
preliminary enquiry against 11 people, including former Indian Air
Force chief S.P. Tyagi, and four companies in the $750
million/Rs.3,600-crore deal for purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters
from AgustaWestland.
Besides Tyagi, the inquiry names his cousins Sanjeev alias 'Julie'
Tyagi, Docsa Tyagi, Sandeep Tyagi, advocate Gautam Khaitan,
formerly associated with Aeromatrix, and the company's CEO Praveen
Bakshi.
Others named in the inquiry include Giuseppe Orsi, the former CEO
of Italian defence major Finmeccanica, Bruno Spagnolini, CEO of
AgustaWestland - a Britain-based subsidiary of Finmeccanica - and
alleged middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke, Karlo Valentino, Ferdinando
Gerosa, and Christian Michel.
The firms named are Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland, IDS Infotech
Ltd. (India) and Aeromatrix India.
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and defence ministry team
last week went to Italy to collect documents concerning alleged
kickbacks to clinch the deal.
Informed sources said it was the second instance of a former
service chief having faced a CBI inquiry concerning a deal with
foreign firms.
They said former navy chief Sushil Kumar was questioned by the
agency in connection with alleged kickbacks in the purchase of
Barak missiles from Israel during tenure of the National
Democratic Alliance-led government.
Tyagi has categorically denied any involvement in influencing the
VVIP helicopters deal in favour of AgustaWestland. Sanjeev Tyagi
had also termed allegations of involvement of his family in the
kickbacks as "hundred percent wrong and baseless".
Bakshi, too, has rubbished claims that the firm had anything to do
with the alleged kickbacks in the deal.
CBI sources said preliminery inquiry had been registered on the
basis of documents which the agency got while its team was in
Italy.
The matter came to light after Italian agencies arrested Orsi for
suspected corruption to seal the deal.
The government Feb 15 initiated action for cancellation of the
contract for procurement of 12 AW101 helicopters for the use of
VVIPs and issued a formal show cause notice to AgustaWestland
seeking cancellation of contract. Two days earlier, it put on hold
further payments to the company.
Sources said AgustaWestland, in its reply to the government's
notice, stated that the allegations of bribery were based on
unsubstantiated news reports and investigations in Italy were at a
pre-trial stage.
The company also said that procedures had been followed and
suspension of payment to it was not justified.
The kickbacks controversy erupted at a time the government was
bracing up for the budget session of parliament.
The opposition has already signalled it will raise the issue
forcefully during the session.
The government has said it has nothing to hide and was open to any
suggestion for a probe into the deal.
Defence ministry officials said they would decide on asking more
questions to AgustaWestland after looking at the material gathered
by its senior official who went to Italy and the CBI report.
"If necessary we will ask further questions and confront them with
facts we have," a ministry official said.
The contract for purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters was signed in
2010.
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