Taking cognisance of a supplementary complaint in a money laundering case connected with the ₹3,700-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter bribery case, a Delhi court on Tuesday summoned former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi and others.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar also summoned former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi on September 12. The judge issued fresh non-bailable warrants against Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke and Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena. In its July 18 complaint, the Enforcement Directorate said it had gathered evidence to prosecute the accused for money laundering.
The agency charged that as many as 34 Indian and foreign individuals and companies, including Mr. Tyagi, Gerosa and Haschke, lawyer Gautam Khaitan and Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, were involved in laundering money to the tune of around €28 million.
The proceeds of crime were laundered through several companies in Tunisia, Mauritius, India, British Virgin Island, Singapore, Switzerland, Dubai and other countries, the probe agency alleged
According to the main case probed by CBI, Mr. Tyagi had allegedly entered into a conspiracy with the other accused persons in 2005 and conceded to change the Air Force’s consistent stand that the 6,000-meter service ceiling of VVIP helicopters was an inescapable operational necessity. It was reduced to 4,500 metre. This helped AgustaWestland to meet the eligibility criteria for the contract. The kickbacks were received through middlemen and relatives, the CBI alleged.
The CBI charge sheet alleges that the VVIP helicopter deal caused a loss of 398.21 million euros (about ₹2,666 crore) to the exchequer.