New Delhi: In a blow for the
Enforcement Directorate (ED), a local Court today turned down ED’s plea seeking to revoke the “approver” status accorded to accused-turned-witness
Rajiv Saxena in the Rs 3,600 crore
VVIP chopper scandal.
This means Saxena will continue to remain approver till a higher Court sets aside the special CBI Court order.
Miffed over “incomplete” disclosures by Rajiv Saxena, ED in October last year had moved a local Court seeking to withdraw Saxena’s “approver” status.
The agency had told the Court that not only Saxena withheld crucial information, refused to make full disclosure but also misled the agency.
The development assumes since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is all set to file its supplementary charge sheet in the case. Saxena may appear as an accused in CBI’s case.
ET was the first to report on June 26 last year that investigators suspected that the accused-turned-approver Rajiv Saxena deliberately withheld crucial information which could throw light on the role of more individuals, who allegedly paid kickbacks to the high-ups to swing the air force contract in favour of British helicopter manufacturer
AgustaWestland.
The investigation into Saxena’s claims have also revealed that he “lied” about a bank account in Mauritius, said people with knowledge of the probe. Certain claims made by Saxena could not be substantiated with evidence on record while some were found to be “untrue”, they said.
In his statement given to the agencies, Saxena claimed that he was fooled by advocate
Gautam Khaitan, co-accused in the
AgustaWestland case. Saxena had submitted that Khaitan and other accused had laundered money using a company, which was shown to be owned by Saxena. However, sleuths have found that Saxena had a bank account in Mauritius which was used to operate that company. Also, Saxena’s signatures on the KYC documents of the account have matched, the people said.
In March last year, a Delhi court had permitted Saxena to become an approver in the case. His application was then not opposed by the ED on the condition that he will make “full disclosure”.
ET had reported on March 13 that Saxena, in his judicial confession, explained the “modus operandi” adopted in routing the alleged kickbacks. He was described as the “key money launderer” by the ED.
Saxena had revealed details of the number of companies created by him, allegedly at the asking of advocate Khaitan, to park and route the kickbacks. He had disclosed his “close ties” stretching over 12 years with Khaitan.
Saxena is also believed to have disclosed his “link” with co-accused
Christian Michel, an alleged middleman in the case and details of the payments made to him.
The ED had told the court that Saxena revealed “ownership/control” on certain companies which were found receiving proceeds of crime from a company used by Michel.
It had told the court that Saxena, in “connivance with” Khaitan, provided “corporate structure across the globe for laundering operation” and played an active role in laundering the proceeds of crime.