Rome, Jan 8: An court in the Italian city of Milan on Monday acquitted former president of Finmeccanica Giuseppe Orsi and its helicopter unit’s former chief Bruno Spagnolini in Agusta Westland Corruption case. The court, in its judgment, said there was no enough evidence to prove their crime. Both were accused of corruption in the deal sealed to supply 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters to Indian Air Force.
Italy’s highest court, in 2016, had ordered an inquiry into a corruption case accusing them of duping the company to the tune of 560 million euros ($672 million). Orsi was sentenced to four-year jail in the case.
The case, dating back to 2013, created an uproar when senior politicians and Air Force officials were alleged to have received kickbacks from the company to the tune of 30 million euros for giving clearance to the deal. After initial levels of investigation, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former Air Force chief S P Tyagi, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and Lawyer Gautam Khaitan and filed charge sheet against 9 other persons.
The CBI, which registered an FIR in the case on March 12, 2013, has alleged that Tyagi and the other accused received kickbacks from AgustaWestland to help the manufacturer win the contract. The FIR mentioned charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI said the company was favoured in lieu of illegal gratification accepted through different companies in the name of consultancy services.
Tyagi, the CBI has alleged, took bribes of several crores, through middlemen and a complex route of companies in several countries, from AgustaWestland to change the specifications of the contract – reducing the operational flight ceiling from 6,000 metres, as originally proposed, to 4,500 metres and bringing down the cabin height to 1.8 metres.
(With inputs from agencies)