Italian Bribes

Shell companies created by the law firm behind the "Panama Papers" played a central role in alleged Italian bribes paid to Algerian officials for energy contracts, an investigative journalism group said Monday.

The Agusta helicopter scam has been clawing at the Congress after an Italian court concluded that the Anglo-Italian firm's executives are guilty of paying bribes in India to be selected as the supplier of a dozen helicopters.

Congress today created pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha, forcing two adjournments in the pre-noon session over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation during an election rally that an Italian court had named Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland chopper bribery case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wasn't in Parliament for today's fierce debate on the AgustaWestland helicopter scam, but he brought it to the attention of an election rally in Tamil Nadu with resounding force.

Despite requests, the Congress-led government shared just three documents with Italy as it investigated how bribes were paid in India for an order for 3,600 crores for a dozen helicopters.

CBI today questioned former Indian Air Force Chief SP Tyagi for the third consecutive day and examined lawyer Gautam Khaitan for the first time after an Italian court held that bribes were paid to clinch the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal.

While concluding that Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland paid bribes in India to land a government order for 12 helicopters, an Italian court has included the findings of India's state auditor. However, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which flagged parts of the agreement as suspect, is not being considered in the Indian inquiry.

Once India cancelled an order to buy helicopters because the deal with manufacturer AgustaWestland was studded with bribes, Dr Manmohan Singh, who was then Prime Minister, was not approached to influence the investigation in Delhi, a top Italian diplomat has said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has dared the Bharatiya Janata Party to arrest Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other leaders of the party in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper scam.

As soon as it emerged that bribes had been paid by an Italian company to sell helicopters for Rs 3,600 crore to India, the Congress says it blacklisted the manufacturer - AgustaWestland and its parent, Finmecannica.

BJP today used the conviction of Italian officials linked to the VVIP chopper scam to target the Congress and asked the then defence minister AK Antony to name the party leaders allegedly involved in the scandal.

The BJP has decided to name Sonia Gandhi as part of an all-out offensive in Parliament on the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland deal for VVIP choppers in 2010, when the UPA was in power. An Italian court investigating the role of officials of defence manufacturer Finmeccanica - Agusta's parent company - in bribing politicians and officers in India has ...

A court in Naples on Wednesday sentenced former Italian premier and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi to three years in prison for bribing a senator as part of a plot to destabilise a 2006-08 centre-left government.

A court in Italy on Thursday ruled that no kickbacks were paid in a deal for 12 helicopters for use by top Indian political leaders. It also found that there is no evidence to suggest former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi had accepted bribes to help AgustaWestland - the British unit of Italian defence manufacturer Finmeccanica - land the contract.

A court in Italy has ruled that no kickbacks were paid in a deal for 12 helicopters for use by top Indian political leaders. It also found that there is no evidence to suggest former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi had accepted bribes to help AgustaWestland - the British unit of Italian defence manufacturer Finmeccanica - land the contract.

Shell companies created by the law firm behind the "Panama Papers" played a central role in alleged Italian bribes paid to Algerian officials for energy contracts, an investigative journalism group said Monday.

The Agusta helicopter scam has been clawing at the Congress after an Italian court concluded that the Anglo-Italian firm's executives are guilty of paying bribes in India to be selected as the supplier of a dozen helicopters.

Congress today created pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha, forcing two adjournments in the pre-noon session over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation during an election rally that an Italian court had named Sonia Gandhi in the AgustaWestland chopper bribery case.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wasn't in Parliament for today's fierce debate on the AgustaWestland helicopter scam, but he brought it to the attention of an election rally in Tamil Nadu with resounding force.

Despite requests, the Congress-led government shared just three documents with Italy as it investigated how bribes were paid in India for an order for 3,600 crores for a dozen helicopters.

CBI today questioned former Indian Air Force Chief SP Tyagi for the third consecutive day and examined lawyer Gautam Khaitan for the first time after an Italian court held that bribes were paid to clinch the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal.

While concluding that Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland paid bribes in India to land a government order for 12 helicopters, an Italian court has included the findings of India's state auditor. However, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which flagged parts of the agreement as suspect, is not being considered in the Indian inquiry.

Once India cancelled an order to buy helicopters because the deal with manufacturer AgustaWestland was studded with bribes, Dr Manmohan Singh, who was then Prime Minister, was not approached to influence the investigation in Delhi, a top Italian diplomat has said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has dared the Bharatiya Janata Party to arrest Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other leaders of the party in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper scam.

As soon as it emerged that bribes had been paid by an Italian company to sell helicopters for Rs 3,600 crore to India, the Congress says it blacklisted the manufacturer - AgustaWestland and its parent, Finmecannica.

BJP today used the conviction of Italian officials linked to the VVIP chopper scam to target the Congress and asked the then defence minister AK Antony to name the party leaders allegedly involved in the scandal.

The BJP has decided to name Sonia Gandhi as part of an all-out offensive in Parliament on the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland deal for VVIP choppers in 2010, when the UPA was in power. An Italian court investigating the role of officials of defence manufacturer Finmeccanica - Agusta's parent company - in bribing politicians and officers in India has ...

A court in Naples on Wednesday sentenced former Italian premier and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi to three years in prison for bribing a senator as part of a plot to destabilise a 2006-08 centre-left government.

A court in Italy on Thursday ruled that no kickbacks were paid in a deal for 12 helicopters for use by top Indian political leaders. It also found that there is no evidence to suggest former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi had accepted bribes to help AgustaWestland - the British unit of Italian defence manufacturer Finmeccanica - land the contract.

A court in Italy has ruled that no kickbacks were paid in a deal for 12 helicopters for use by top Indian political leaders. It also found that there is no evidence to suggest former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi had accepted bribes to help AgustaWestland - the British unit of Italian defence manufacturer Finmeccanica - land the contract.