AgustaWestland probe: CBI to question wife of accused

The CBI’s investigation into the multi-crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal case has revealed that a significant part of the funds ($50,000), transferred by Anglo-Italian defence manufacturer to bribe Indian officials, was allegedly routed through the account of the wife of an accused. The CBI, sources said, is scrutinising her bank account details and will soon call her for questioning in connection with the case.

Sources said, “Probe has revealed that 24.37 million euros were allegedly transferred from AgustaWestland to IDS (Tunisia), the firm which is an accused in the case”. However, of this, only 1.88 million euros were transferred to IDS Infotech Chandigarh and 3.88 million euros to Aeromatrix, they added. “Both firms, IDS Infotech (Chandigarh) and Aeromatrix are also accused in the case. CBI sleuths have found that apart from transfers made to IDS infotech Chandigarh and Aeromatrix, funds received by IDS Tunisa from AgustaWestland were routed to the actual beneficiaries through a Mauritius-based company, linked to an accused and his wife. Funds ($50,000) transferred from IDS Tunisia were allegedly received by the wife of an accused”, sources said adding that the agency will soon call her for questioning.

The CBI on March 13, 2013 had booked former IAF Chief S.P. Tyagi and 12 others under charges of bribery, cheating and corruption in the VVIP copter deal.

The former Air Chief, his cousins Sanjeev, alias Julie, Rajeev, alias Docsa, and Sandeep, European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke were among 13 individuals named in the FIR as accused. Besides, the CBI also booked brother of former Union Minister Santosh Bagrodia, Satish Bagrodia, and Pratap Aggarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of IDS Infotech. Six companies including Italy-based Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland, Mohali-based IDS Infotech, Chandigarh based Aeromatrix, IDS Tunisia and IDS Mauritius had also been booked by the CBI in its FIR.

The agency had frozen bank accounts of eight Indians, including former IAF chief and three of his cousins, named as accused in the FIR. The CBI alleged that AgustaWestland managed to introduce a comparative flight trial with non-functional engine and eventually succeeded in getting the contract for supply of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters from the Defence Ministry mainly due to softening of the IAF on service ceiling after Tyagi took over as its Chief. The agency also alleged that Italian middleman Guido Haschke, through his Tunisia-based company Gordian Services Sarl, entered into several consultancy contracts with AgustaWestland from 2004-05 and “almost on back-to-back basis he also made consultancy contracts with the Tyagi brothers (Tyagi’s cousins), sources said.