Amit Shah asks Sonia Gandhi to ‘name bribe-takers’

The BJP continued to target the Congress and Mrs Sonia Gandhi personally over the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP helicopter deal on Thursday, with BJP chief Amit Shah asking the Congress president to name those who took “kickbacks” in the deal, while a combative Congress hit back at the ruling party, saying the Narendra Modi government had “failed” to find the culprits despite being in power for the past two years.

As political temperatures kept rising, the defence ministry issued a statement Thursday noting the core issue in the helicopter scam was corruption, and said the government would “leave no stone unturned in pursuing all means to bring to justice the corrupt and wrong-doers”.

Defence sources said “investigators” had earlier found certain “classified” documents on the MoD and the Indian Air Force in the possession of middlemen allegedly working for the Italian-owned UK-based Agusta Westland firm in the course of their probe.

BJP president Amit Shah, lashing out at Mrs Gandhi, said: “All I want to ask her is that those who gave bribes are in jail in Italy, then where are those who received the kickbacks Who were in power at that time They are responsible, and they should bring out the truth. It should be disclosed before the people of the country.”

In a jibe at Mrs Gandhi over her remark Wednesday that she does not “fear anybody”, Mr Shah said she is “right”, and that is why such “scams” keep coming out into the open. “That is why when the National Herald corruption case happens, you say you do not fear anybody. When the AgustaWestland case occurs, you say you do not fear anybody... I want to tell her that we in the BJP are afraid of the Constitution, rules and public norms,” he told a group of journalists.

“I think she should come out of this mindset about whether she fears anybody or not and make it clear before the people that when it has been proved by an Italian court that bribes were given, then who received the money Who are responsible ” he asked. Taking a dig at the UPA government, he said it was a “rare dispensation” as scams under it were reported while it was in power, and continue to be reported even two years after it had been voted out.

The MoD statement, refuting the Congress’ claims that AgustaWestland was blacklisted by the UPA government, said it was the NDA government that had on July 3, 2014 actually put on hold all procurement and acquisition cases in the pipeline of six companies involved in the VVIP helicopter scam. It also said that the CBI and Enforcement Directorate were vigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation, including the arrest and extradition of three alleged middlemen in the deal — Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke Ralph and Christian Michel James. The Centre also told Parliament Thursday India had approached the British government for the extradition of Christian Michel James, the middleman named by the Italian investigators as a key intermediary in the controversial deal.

The MoD statement said: “Publicly available information on the procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters clearly shows that the core issue in the matter is corruption. The present government has taken effective action to bring out the truth and will leave no stone unturned in pursuing all means to bring to justice the corrupt and the wrongdoers in this case.” It also said the time taken is largely because some key perpetrators of this “misdeed” are outside the country. In certain quarters, questions have been raised on certain trivial technicalities, that appear to be intended to distract attention from the core issue of corruption, it said.

The MoD said the contract for supply of 12 helicopters signed with AgustaWestland International Ltd (AWIL) on February 8, 2010 was terminated with effect from January 1, 2014. “The main reason was breach of the provisions of the Pre-Contract Integrity Pact and breach of terms of contract by AWIL. However, the company was not debarred by the said order. Various bonds and bank guarantees were invoked. It is the present government which through its order dated July 3, 2014 put on hold all procurement/acquisition cases in the pipeline of six companies figuring in the FIR registered by the CBI. No new capital procurement has been made thereafter from these companies,” the statement said.

These companies are AgustaWestland International Ltd, Finmeccanica, Italy, and its group of companies, including subsidiaries and affiliates, IDS, Tunisia, Infotech Design System (IDS), Mauritius, IDS Infotech Ltd, Mohali, and Aeromatrix Info Solution Pvt Ltd, Chandigarh.

On the Congress allegation that the NDA gave clearance to a joint venture involving AgustaWestland through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, the MoD said this proposal was approved on September 2, 2011 (during the UPA-2 government) based on an application by Indian Rotorcraft Ltd, a joint venture of Tata Sons with AgustaWestland NV, Netherlands.

“This was later changed to AgustaWestland SPA, Italy, due to reorganisation within the group. On February 7, 2012, an industrial licence for the manufacture of helicopters was granted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to Indian Rotorcraft Ltd. However, the validity of the licence has since expired,” it said. On the “core issue of corruption”, it said the two agencies, the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, were vigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation, including the arrests and/or extradition of three foreign nationals.

Minister of state for external affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd) told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question: “Yes, the Government of India has approached the government of the United Kingdom for the extradition of Christian Michel to India in connection with the AgustaWestland helicopter scam.”