Opposing a bail plea filed by Christian Michel James, alleged intermediary within the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, the Enforcement Directorate submitted within the Delhi Excessive Courtroom on Tuesday that he was a flight danger, citing his British citizenship.
James, nevertheless, mentioned within the court docket of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma that his passport had expired.
Zoheb Hossain, particular counsel for the ED, mentioned James was granted bail by the Supreme Courtroom solely within the predicate case of theCBI and never within the money-laundering case, including that being a British citizen, he may “run away” and that he was a flight danger.
Advocate Alio Joseph, representing James, countered the argument saying James’ passport had anyway expired and that he must apply for a renewal, which can take a while. “I don’t have a passport, I must take permission to proceed right here (staying in India)…After finishing the utmost sentence, if I run away or keep, what does it matter? It has been six years and two months (of incarceration) right here and 4 months in Dubai…I’m entitled to remission. ED’s argument doesn’t maintain any water,” he mentioned.
James has been in jail since December 2018, and the utmost punishment attainable within the ED grievance is seven years. The ED filed its chargesheet in June 2016 alleging that James obtained 30 million Euros (roughly Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
Justice Sharma remarked that the court docket would like to see the circumstances imposed by the trial court docket for the bail granted by the Supreme Courtroom first. “Allow them to (trial court docket) write the circumstances..I need to see what circumstances they’re imposing.”
The court docket will proceed listening to the matter additional on Friday.
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James, one of many alleged middlemen within the deal for the acquisition of 12 VVIP choppers, was extradited from the UAE in 2018 to face trial within the case. He moved the Supreme Courtroom within the CBI case after the Delhi Excessive Courtroom denied him bail on September 25, 2024.
The CBI then mentioned James was a marketing consultant for AgustaWestland and acted as a intermediary on behalf of the agency. In response to the CBI, undue favour was given to AgustaWestland in awarding the VVIP helicopter contract by accepting unlawful gratification from it via middlemen.
The 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 Power, MOD (Ministry of Defence), bureaucrats, politicians and household in India for exhibiting favour within the VVIP helicopter deal”.
The ED booked James on money-laundering prices with a grievance lodged in opposition to him on July 3, 2014. He was booked underneath sections 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13(2), learn with part 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act.
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The Supreme Courtroom final week granted James bail within the CBI case on grounds of the delay within the trial.
