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An Italian court has found out that the UPA government concealed some critical issues in the <keyword id="1560103" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="VVIP-chopper-scandal">VVIP chopper scandal</keyword>, hiding several documents with investigators. The court has also found out that the main accused, the then Italian Prime Minister <keyword id="826514" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mario-Monti">Mario Monti</keyword>, had tried to reach out to his Indian counterpart <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword>. 
 In the 225-page order, which was accessed by ET, the <keyword id="3336940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Court-of-Appeals-of-Milan">Court of Appeals of Milan</keyword> has given in depth details of its grounds for conviction. About the UPA government hiding important details, it observed: "This showing (of) a substantial disregard to arrive at a full explanation of facts (was) effectively demonstrated by the procedural behaviour of the Indian Ministry of Defence." 
 
The Italian court, which is equivalent to the High Courts of India, further speculated if all this was connected to a handwritten note that was recovered in March 2013 from former Finmeccanica head Giuseppe Orsi's prison cell. 
 
The note said, "Call Monti or amb. Teracciano in my name to ask him to call the PM Singh." Monti was the then Italian PM and Teracciano was his diplomatic advisor. 
 
The court then said that while it's not in a "position to determine what was the message that Orsi, during his detention, intended to send to the head of Government of India but the same can be guessed if we think about the outcome of requests for judicial assistance sent to Indian authorities." 
 
A footnote said that in April 2013, Italy had requested full documents related to the case from Indian government, but only three documents were provided and that too by as late as March 2014. The judgement, which also questioned the involvement of British middleman Christian Michel, makes extensive referrals to CAG’s report about the matter. 
 
In its ruling in the case, the Italian court had stated that the 2010 deal to purchase 12 VVIP helicopters by India from AgustaWestland involved corruption at international levels, which is why it had ordered a four-and-a-half-years jail term to the former head of the company, Giuseppe Orsi. 
 
It was in 2013 that the UPA government had cancelled the deal, saying that the integrity pact was violated. After that, most of the money paid to the Italian company has been recovered, while three VVIP choppers that were delivered to India are lying dormant. 
 
<a href="http://files.foreignaffairs.com/legacy/images/Singh2.jpg">Image source</a>

UPA government hid vital facts about VVIP helicopter scam, an Italian court reveals

Amidst India’s ruling and opposition parties’ constant blame games on the topic of the <keyword id="1558702" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="VVIP-chopper-scam">VVIP chopper scam</keyword>, some interesting details have surfaced, regarding a scam of Rs 330 crore by <keyword id="1559132" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Christian-Michel">Christian Michel</keyword>, a British businessman. 
 Even though Michel was paid 44 million euros at that time by <keyword id="252971" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="AgustaWestland">AgustaWestland</keyword>, a large portion of this money is "completely disproportionate" to the work he did for the company, at least this is how Italy’s Milan Court of Appeals has described Mithcel, who is sought by Indian investigators for his involvement in the case, so much so that it was on India's request that Interpol had issued a red corner notice against Michel in December 2015. 
 Italian prosecutors have put ahead an argument that Michel, along with <keyword id="3339722" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Guido-Hashke">Guido Hashke</keyword>, a Swiss-Italian national, influenced Indian officials to pick Agusta's choppers. They have also alleged him to be a key player in the VVIP chopper deal. 
 
As per the Milan court, Michel was paid over 44 million euros by AgustaWestland for various contracts, including a deal to supply spare parts for Indian naval helicopters and a post-contract service deal for the VVIP chopper contract. 
 
In the judgement, the court said that the description of his work for the contracts was "completely disproportionate to the large amount of fees paid to him". 
 
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-efy6oDPQuR8/USB6-Qh1ilI/AAAAAAAAAwc/22mJsrFapaM/s1600/Agusta+Westland+Chopper+SCAM03.jpg">Image source</a>

The Italian court wants to know why Christian Michel was paid 44 million Euros in the VVIP chopper scam

The CBI arrested former Air Force Chief SP Tyagi over alleged irregularities in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal worth 3,700 crores. 
 
He was arrested along with his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan after hours of questioning. 
 
Tyagi, who retired in 2007, was questioned by the CBI extensively in the past in this case. 
 
All the 3 have been arrested on the allegations of accepting illegal gratification for exercising influence through corrupt and or illegal means, the CBI said. 
 
The former air chief has been accused of abusing his official position by corrupt means. 
 
This is the first high-profile arrest made by acting CBI chief Rakesh Asthana, who is in the headlines because of a row between the government and the opposition over his appointment a week ago. 
 
Asthana was given charge of the chopper deal investigation earlier this year. 
 
On January 1, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. 
 
The CBI in the initial investigations into the AgustaWestland scam had found that former IAF chief SP Tyagi was indeed bribed by middlemen+ around the same time - 2004-2005 - that his cousins were given money, highly placed sources said. 
 
The CBI was looking into former IAF chief's investments in property and banks, especially after 2004-05, to ascertain the money trail in the VVIP helicopter scam. 
 
It had got Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) issued to multiple countries to gather more leads and evidences in this case. 
 
Sources said the agency had identified the alleged 'briber giver' (AgustaWestland), bribe takers (cousins of S P Tyagi), middlemen (Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa), bribe amount and to some extent the bribe route. It is now looking to establish where the money went after reaching Tyagi's cousins (Julie, Docsa and Sandeep). 
 
The Enforcement Directorate had in April this year summoned Tyagi in connection with its money-laundering probe in the Rs 3,600 crore .

CBI arrests ex-Air Force Chief SP Tyagi in VVIP Chopper Scam

New Delhi, Apr 6 () The Delhi High Court Monday reserved its order on the interim bail plea of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman arrested in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam cases by the CBI and the ED, who cited risk of contracting coronavirus in Tihar Jail.Justice Mukta Gupta, who conducted the proceeding through video conferencing, heard the arguments on behalf of counsel for Michel and the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.Both the probe agencies opposed the interim bail plea.Michel, 59, claimed that his health condition was critical and incompatible with the current prison status, especially to cope up with the risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection which could have a lethal effect on him as he is already suffering from serious pathologies."The agedness and a pre-existing ill state of health will make the applicant's (Michel) body more susceptible to the said infection than any other ordinary prisoner with a normal health condition. Further, the presence within prisons of subjects who are tested positive for Covid19 pose a threat to the applicant considering his existing health condition and age," said the plea, through Vishnu Shankar and Aljo K Joseph.Last week, the apex court had asked Michel to first approach the high court with his plea.In his plea, he also referred to the Supreme Court's March 16 order directing all the states and union territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and undertrials, for offences entailing up to 7-year jail term, to decongest jails in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.The plea further cited the Prime Minister's speech declaring a nation wide 21-day lockdown on March 24 to avoid spread of the virus.It said that Michel's health condition be monitored and treated and he required an environment like home where the risk of contagion is lesser and social distancing can be effectively practiced. The regular bail plea of Michel, who was arrested in 2018 and is in judicial custody since January 5, 2019, is also pending before the high court where the CBI and the ED have contended that he should not be granted the relief as he has a nexus with influential people and can influence witnesses.He has been denied bail in both the matters by the trial court. He has approached the high court against the lower court's decision.The special CBI court had denied him the relief, saying there was no sufficient ground to grant bail.Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the ED on December 22, 2018.On January 5 last year, he was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in another case registered by the CBI in connection with the scam.Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. SKV HMP SA

Chopper Scam: Delhi HC reserves order on Michel's interim bail plea citing virus risk in jail

New Delhi, Apr 7 () The Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea of Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman arrested in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam cases, seeking interim bail on the grounds of risk of contracting coronavirus in Tihar jail.Justice Mukta Gupta, who conducted the hearing through video conferencing, said the apprehension of Michel that because of his vulnerable age and overcrowding in jail, he is likely to contact COVID-19 which may be detrimental to his health, is unfounded. "As regards the apprehension of the petitioner (Michel) being infected by COVID-19 pandemic, it may be noted that the petitioner is lodged in a separate cell with only two other prisoners and thus, is not in a barrack or dormitory where there are a number of prisons. It is not the case of the petitioner that any of the two inmates residing with him are suffering from COVID-19."Hence, the apprehension of the petitioner also because of the vulnerable age and overcrowding in jail that he is likely to contact COVID-19 which may be detrimental to his health, is unfounded," the judge said, in the order passed on Monday and uploaded on the court's website on Tuesday. The ED and CBI, represented through advocates Amit Mahajan and D P Singh respectively, opposed the interim bail plea of Michel, saying he was lodged at the safest place in the country being the Tihar Jail and there is no threat of him coming in contact with any COVID-19 patient.The counsel also said that in Tihar Jail, each and every prisoner has been screened to check whether he is COVID-19 positive or not and no prisoner till date has been found to be suffering from the virus.The 59-year-old Michel claimed that his health condition was critical and incompatible with the current prison status, especially to cope up with the risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection which could have a lethal effect on him as he is already suffering from serious pathologies.Michel, extradited from Dubai, was arrested by the ED on December 22, 2018.On January 5 last year, he was sent to judicial custody in the ED case. He is also lodged in judicial custody in another case registered by the CBI in connection with the scam.Michel is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the ED and the CBI. The other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.The court, in its order, also noted that despite being a British national, Michel has not been residing in the United Kingdom for the last 6-7 years and had to be extradited from Dubai after an inquiry. After coming to know about the arrest of others in Italy, he fled to Dubai, the court noted, adding that Michel is thus a "flight risk and also has no roots in the society".It said the charge sheet has been filed by CBI and complaint by the Enforcement Directorate, and further investigations are pending in both the cases and at this stage, his release even on interim bail is not warranted."Hence, this court is not inclined to grant interim bail to the petitioner. Applications are accordingly dismissed," the judge said.Last week, the apex court had asked Michel to first approach the high court with his plea."The age and a pre-existing ill state of health will make the applicant's (Michel) body more susceptible to the said infection than any other ordinary prisoner with a normal health condition. Further, the presence within prisons of subjects who are tested positive for Covid19 pose a threat to the applicant considering his existing health condition and age," the plea, through Vishnu Shankar and Aljo K Joseph, said.In his plea, he also referred to the Supreme Court's March 16 order directing all the states and union territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and undertrials, for offences entailing upto 7-year jail term, to decongest jails in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.The high court said that pursuant to the apex court's March 23 order, a high powered committee of the high court laid down certain criterias for releasing the prisoners.It said Michel failed to qualify on three criterias laid down by the high powered committee, that is, being a foreign national, involved in more than one case not being on bail in others and the cases being under Prevention of Corruption Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It said that Michel's health condition be monitored and treated and he required an environment like home where the risk of contagion is lesser and social distancing can be effectively practiced. The regular bail plea of Michel, who was arrested in 2018 and is in judicial custody since January 5, 2019, is also pending before the high court where the CBI and ED have contended that he should not be granted the relief as he has a nexus with influential people and can influence witnesses.He has been denied bail in both the matters by the trial court. He has approached the high court against the lower court's decision.The special CBI court had denied him the relief, saying there was no sufficient ground to grant bail. SKV HMP DVDV

You Searched For "VVIP chopper scam" and got 5 results

UPA government hid vital facts about VVIP helicopter scam, an Italian court reveals

BI India Bureau

The Italian court wants to know why Christian Michel was paid 44 million Euros in the VVIP chopper scam

BI India Bureau

CBI arrests ex-Air Force Chief SP Tyagi in VVIP Chopper Scam

Anushree Singh

Chopper Scam: Delhi HC reserves order on Michel's interim bail plea citing virus risk in jail

PTI

AgustaWestland case: Delhi HC dismisses Christian Michel's interim bail plea

PTI

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