At Crucial Point In Bidding, AgustaWestland Treated Ex Air Chief SP Tyagi To Opera

New Delhi: Former Air Chief SP Tyagi, who has denied any role in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, was treated to an opera night in Milan by the company's officials when negotiations were on, an Italian court judgement has revealed.

Air Marshal Tyagi, referred to as "Shashi Tyagi" and "Marshall Tyagi" in documents attached to the judgement of the Italian Court of Appeals, allegedly met Agusta officials twice while in office. In one of those visits in 2006, he visited the world famous Teotro Alla Scala Opera in Milan, allegedly at Agusta's expense, a top official of the helicopter maker said in court. Agusta won the contract to supply a dozen helicopters to India in 2007.

The former air chief has denied allegations that he tailored specifications to help Agusta win the bid for the Rs 3,600 crore deal.

Agusta and its Italy-based parent company Finmeccanica were allegedly in touch with his cousins. The Italian court has been clear in declaring that bribes were paid to the former Air chief; he has denied it.

The court documents quote Agusta's former senior vice president Giacomo Saponaro as telling the public prosecutor: "We went La Scala and we were He (Air Marshal Tyagi), his wife, me and maybe, i d not remember if there was Engineer ORSI too, I do not remember this, however vaguely..."

Giuseppe Orsi, then CEO of Agusta, was arrested in 2013 and released on bail last year.

Mr Saponaro says the air chief had dinner with Agusta officials at the Biffi Scala restaurant and then went to the La Scala, where "Verdi was playing".

"Major General is passionate about opera and lyrics," Mr Saponaro was quoted as saying. When he was repeatedly asked who paid, the official named "Maggioli" - an Agusta official.

The former air chief and his wife were put up at the Grand Hotel in Milan. The court says this informal meeting prepared ground for an official visit by the next air chief, Fali Major, in 2007.

The judgement says Agusta's defence refuted the story. Retired Air Marshal Tyagi headed the Indian Air Force between 2004 and 2007.

The court says that the presence of former Italian Air chief Vincenzo Camporini and Orsi at the dinner and opera makes it important evidence of Agusta deal-making.