ED likely to file supplementary complaint in AgustaWestland chopper scam

The Enforcement Directorate is likely to file a supplementary complaint in the alleged AgustaWestland VVIP Helicopter Scam. A senior ED official told ANI that the agency is expecting more information to come out of middleman Christian James Michel once he is questioned by the ED.

Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal, was sent to five days CBI custody on Wednesday. Once the CBI interrogation is over, the ED will take charge of the interrogation. 

The official told ANI that the Investigating Officers are preparing a questionnaire to interrogate Michel. He further added that ED has enough evidence against Michel and that ED had filed a prosecution complaint last year where it was alleged that Michel had paid several people in cash.

On July 18 2018, ED filed Prosecution Complaint against 34 accused persons and companies including Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, former Directors of Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland, former IAF chief SP Tyagi and others in the case of AgustaWestland VVIP Helicopter Scam. 

The ED investigation revealed that the kickbacks were paid by AgustaWestland through two different channels. 

One channel was handled by middleman Christian Michel James and the other channel was handled by Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke.

Gerosa and Haschke in collusion with Tyagi brothers (cousins of former IAF chief SP Tyagi), conspired with Gautam Khaitan of M/s OP Khaitan and Company, Auditors and Solicitors based at New Delhi. Enforcement Directorate had earlier attached properties worth Rs 10 crores and froze shares worth more than Rs 150 crores belonging to Tyagi brothers, Gautam Khaitan, Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel James and Rajiv Saxena.