THE Supreme Courtroom Friday sought the CBI’s response on the bail plea of British nationwide Christian Michel James, one of many accused within the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper rip-off case. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale gave the central probe company 4 weeks to file its reply.
Michel James, one of many alleged middlemen within the deal for buy of 12 VVIP choppers, was extradited from UAE in 2018 to face trial within the case. He moved the SC after the Delhi Excessive Courtroom denied him bail on September 25 this yr.
As per the CBI probe, a contract for provide of 12 VVIP/non-VVIP helicopters was awarded to M/s AgustaWestland Worldwide Ltd., UK, for an quantity of Euro 556.262 million (`3,726.96 crore) and an settlement to this impact was executed on February 8, 2010 between the Ministry of Defence and M/s AgustaWestland Worldwide Ltd. It’s alleged that former Chief of Air Workers S P Tyagi, between 2005 and 2007, accorded approval for lowering the altitude ceiling for VVIP helicopters from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres. This allowed M/s AgustaWestland Worldwide Ltd. to enter the fray after being disqualified in 2002.
The CBI mentioned Michel James was a guide of M/s AgustaWestland and acted as a intermediary negotiating on behalf of the agency. In the course of the negotiations he bought essential confidential details about the progress on procurement technique of VVIP helicopters by way of his sources and handed on the data to M/s AgustaWestland, the company mentioned. In accordance with the CBI, undue favour was given to M/s AgustaWestland for awarding the contract of procurement of VVIP helicopters in its favour by accepting unlawful gratification from it by way of intermediary/kinfolk together with Sanjeev Tyagi @ Julie Tyagi, Gautam Khaitan and others by exercising affect by way of corrupt and unlawful means and likewise utilizing private affect over the general public servant involved.
The company claimed that Michel James “had been paid an enormous bribe quantity by M/s AgustaWestland, which was paid to the officers of Indian Air Power, MOD, bureaucrats, politicians and household in India for exhibiting favour within the VVIP helicopter deal”.
