Former Air Chief SP Tyagi is named in Italian court order on AgustaWestland chopper deal.
Highlights
- He has been summoned in ED's money laundering probe in VVIP chopper deal
- He's accused of swinging Rs. 3,600 crore deal in AgustaWestland's favour
- 12 choppers were ordered by UPA, deal cancelled after signs of kickbacks
The Enforcement Directorate or ED has summoned former Air Chief, SP Tyagi, next week in the money laundering case it is probing against him in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.
The agency had registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Air Marshal Tyagi and 20 others in July 2014 in the Rs 3,600-crore deal to investigate charges of alleged kickbacks amounting to Rs 360 crore. Earlier this month, an Italian court said bribes worth 30,000 euros were paid by middlemen and top bosses of the Anglo-Italian firm.
In March 2013, the CBI had registered a case in the deal. Based on the CBI complaint, ED officials had booked Air Marshal Tyagi, some members of his family, European nationals Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke and four companies - Italy-based Finmeccanica, UK-based AgustaWestland, Chandigarh-based IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix. The ED also booked two companies based in Mauritius and Tunisia under the money laundering law.
The ED's investigations have focussed on tracking the alleged "bribe money" trail in the VVIP chopper deal that was scrapped. The Indian Air Force, under Air Marshal Tyagi, virtually allowed middlemen to call the shots in the controversial deal, ED investigations have revealed, according to documents accessed exclusively by NDTV.
The supply of 12 VVIP helicopters from AgustaWestland came under the scanner after Italian authorities alleged that bribe was paid by the company to clinch the deal. The CBI's allegation against the former Air Chief is that he reduced the flying ceiling of the helicopter so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids.