Watch the video interview with the French reporter who investigated the Rafale deal

Mediapart, Philippin tells Ray, had sought a response from ED, India’s Ministry of Defence, Dassault as well as the French government—but received no response.

These are the details which emerge from the interview:

1. Narendra Modi’s decision to replace HAL with Anil Ambani’s Reliance as off-set partner for the Rafale deal was a fait accompli and non-negotiable.

2. Rafale fighter jet’s French manufacturer Dassault’s Indian agent Sushen Gupta was paid one million Euros to give 50 models of the aircraft as gifts to Indian officials.

3. At an audit by French authorities Dassault could not explain the payment of one million Euros to Gupta or produce evidence or photographs of the replicas.

4. French law permits companies to pay overseas agents for services rendered, but forbids the agent to pay bribes.

5. India’s Enforcement Directorate in its May 2019 charge sheet against Sushen Gupta in the Augusta Westland case cited classified defence ministry documents relating to the Indian Negotiating Team’s calculations, position and tactics regarding the Rafale deal recovered from Gupta.

6. The Enforcement Directorate or Government of India does not appear to have charged Gupta for possession of the top secret documents despite having documentary proof of this.

7. The Modi government overruled the Indian Negotiating Team and surrendered to the French side by agreeing to drop crucial anti-corruption clauses meant to protect India in the Rafale contract.

8. The Modi Government overruled the Indian Negotiating Team, which had fixed the fair buying price for 36 Rafale jets at five billion Euros, and gave in to pressure from Dassault by agreeing to pay 7.8 billion Euros.

9. Mediapart claims to have full or partial documentary evidence that 22 million Euros have been paid to Sushen Gupta since 2014 by Dassault and Thales, a supplier of vital components in Rafale.

10. Mediapart maintains it has provided enough evidence in its exposes to open or re-open investigation into alleged corruption in the Rafale deal both in France and India and asserts it is totally possible to do so in France.