The Delhi Excessive Court docket, on Friday, reserved its order on the bail plea of British nationwide Christian Michel James, the alleged intermediary within the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, in a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate.
James’ counsel Aljo Joseph reiterated to Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma that James has already undergone seven years and one month of incarceration, together with incarceration in Dubai, and thus has accomplished the utmost potential punishment for the offences he’s accused of, together with remission.
ED’s counsel, then again, submitted that the interval of incarceration in Dubai can’t be counted and argued that he has been incarcerated for somewhat over six years in an Indian jail.
James has been in jail since December 2018, and the utmost punishment potential within the ED criticism is seven years.
ED additionally reiterated that he’s a flight threat. Joseph, countering ED’s submission, added, “the aim of staying in india is to serve the sentence. So I’ve accomplished 7 years with remission.”
James, one of many alleged middlemen within the deal for the acquisition of 12 VVIP choppers, was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2018 to face trial within the case. He moved the Supreme Court docket within the CBI case after the Delhi Excessive Court docket denied him bail on September 25, 2024.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that filed its chargesheet in opposition to James in 2017 had alleged that James was a advisor for AgustaWestland and acted as a intermediary negotiating on behalf of the agency. In response to the company, undue favour was given to AgustaWestland for awarding the contract for procurement of VVIP helicopters in its favour by accepting unlawful gratification from it by middlemen.
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CBI claimed that James “had been paid an enormous bribe quantity by M/s AgustaWestland, which was paid to the officers of the Indian Air Drive, MOD (Ministry of Defence), bureaucrats, politicians and household in India for exhibiting favour within the VVIP helicopter deal”.
ED additionally booked him on cash laundering expenses with a criticism lodged in opposition to him on July 3, 2014. James was booked underneath Sections 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13(2) learn with Part 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA).
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