<p>The Patiala House court on Wednesday granted the investigating agency five-day custody of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-is-vvip-chopper-scam-and-who-is-christian-michel-181606">AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal</a>.</p>

<p>Michel was produced before special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar in Patiala House Court&nbsp;after initial rounds of questioning by CBI.</p>

<p>CBI had sought for his remand to "confront him with some important documents" in the&nbsp;chopper case.</p>

<p>During questioning by CBI, Christian Michel&nbsp;complained of anxiety after which he was given medicine.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Delhi: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristianMichel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChristianMichel</a> brought to CBI Headquarters after he was sent to five-day CBI custody by Special Court. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AgustaWestland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AgustaWestland</a> <a href="https://t.co/yTLFgrBwyZ">pic.twitter.com/yTLFgrBwyZ</a></p>
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<p>He was<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vvip-chopper-case-middleman-christian-michel-extradited-to-india-181534"> extradited to India </a>from Dubai on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Michel, 54, landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on a Gulfstream jet at 10.35 pm Tuesday night after which he was arrested by the CBI in connection with the case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the immigration procedure, he was taken to the CBI headquarters for interrogation at south Delhi's Lodhi Road area.</p>

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<p>Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him.</p>

<p>However, Michel had denied the charges.</p>

<p>The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former Air Chief SP Tyagi is also an accused in the case along with some others.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed in a court here two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Patiala House court on Wednesday granted the investigating agency five-day custody of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal.

The Patiala House court on Wednesday granted the investigating agency five-day custody of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. Michel was produced before special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar in Patiala House Court after initial rounds of questioning by CBI. CBI had sought for his remand to "confront him with some important documents" in the chopper case. During questioning by CBI, Christian Michel complained of anxiety after which he was given medicine. #WATCH Delhi: #ChristianMichel brought to CBI Headquarters after he was sent to five-day CBI custody by Special Court. #AgustaWestland pic.twitter.com/yTLFgrBwyZ — ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2018 × He was extradited to India from Dubai on Tuesday. Michel, 54, landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on a Gulfstream jet at 10.35 pm Tuesday night after which he was arrested by the CBI in connection with the case. After the immigration procedure, he was taken to the CBI headquarters for interrogation at south Delhi's Lodhi Road area. #WATCH: Christian Michel, alleged middleman in AgustaWestland chopper deal, brought to Delhi after being extradited from UAE pic.twitter.com/33e23YkNm9 — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2018 × Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him. However, Michel had denied the charges. The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks. Former Air Chief SP Tyagi is also an accused in the case along with some others. According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed in a court here two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations. (With inputs from agencies)

AgustaWestland chopper case: Special court sends Christian Michel to five-day CBI custody

<p>Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in politically-sensitive Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, was brought to India late Tuesday night <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/agustawestland-vvip-chopper-scam-dubai-government-extradites-christian-michel-to-india-181488">following his extradition by the UAE</a>, the CBI said.</p>

<p>The ruling BJP said the extradition in the case from the UPA era is a diplomatic victory for India and could spell "serious trouble" for the Congress's "first family", referring to Gandhis.</p>

<p>It also asserted that the development was an unequivocal affirmation of the Narendra Modi government's "seriousness in fighting corruption".</p>

<p>Michel landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on a Gulfstream jet at 2235 hours, official sources said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sources: Questioning of alleged middleman in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AgustaWestland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AgustaWestland</a> helicopter deal, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristianMichel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChristianMichel</a> continues at CBI HQ, he will be produced in Delhi's Patiala House Court later today (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/Uw0KuE1NDC">pic.twitter.com/Uw0KuE1NDC</a></p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sources: Questioning of alleged middleman in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AgustaWestland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AgustaWestland</a> helicopter deal, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristianMichel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChristianMichel</a> continues at CBI HQ, he will be produced in Delhi's Patiala House Court later today (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/Uw0KuE1NDC">pic.twitter.com/Uw0KuE1NDC</a></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Christian Michel, alleged middleman in AgustaWestland chopper deal, brought to Delhi after being extradited from UAE <a href="https://t.co/33e23YkNm9">pic.twitter.com/33e23YkNm9</a></p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Christian Michel, alleged middleman in AgustaWestland chopper deal, brought to India after being extradited from UAE <a href="https://t.co/wzNH27JM5b">pic.twitter.com/wzNH27JM5b</a></p>
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<p>The operation code-named 'Unicorn' was carried out under the guidance of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and being coordinated by interim CBI Director M Nageswar Rao, the CBI spokesperson said.</p>

<p>A team of the agency's officers led by Joint Director Sai Manohar was in Dubai to bring him back, it said.</p>

<p>The agency said that Michel has been brought back to India after completion of the extradition process.</p>

<p>The UAE government had cleared the extradition of 57-year-old Michel after his appeal against the move was turned down by a court there.</p>

<p>His alleged involvement in the chopper deal surfaced in 2012 as a middleman for swinging the deal in favour of AgustaWestland and for making illegal payment of commissions or kickbacks to the Indian authorities, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.</p>

<p>Michel was wanted for investigation but he escaped and had avoided joining the probe, he said.</p>

<p>A charge sheet was filed against him in September last year.</p>

<p>"An open non-bailable arrest warrant dated September 24, 2015, was issued by the special judge, CBI cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi," he said.</p>

<p>On the basis of this warrant, a Red Corner Notice was issued by the Interpol which led to his arrest in Dubai in February 2017, he said.</p>

<p>It was not immediately clear whether Michel would be kept in a safe house or in the CBI headquarters itself for the night before being produced in a court.</p>

<p>"Michel, who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in India in the AgustaWestland case, is being extradited by the UAE authorities to India.</p>

<p>"Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by the in-charge Director of CBI, M Nageswara Rao," he said.</p>

<p>Michel was behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent to custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE.</p>

<p>The Dubai Court of Cassation had earlier dismissed the two objections filed by Michel's lawyers and upheld the appellate court's decision to consider the possibility of extraditing him to the competent Indian authorities.</p>

<p>It was alleged that he had entered into a criminal conspiracy with co-accused persons, which included the then IAF chief SP Tyagi and his family members, and the public servants had abused their official positions by reducing service ceiling of the VVIPs helicopter from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres.</p>

<p>The reduction in ceiling made AgustaWestland eligible for contract worth 556.262 million Euros, which was awarded to it by the Defence Ministry on February 08, 2010, for procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters.</p>

<p>He has been alleged to be a "historical consultant" of the AgustaWestland helicopters in the UK with technical operational knowledge of the aircraft, the military bases and the pilots, the CBI spokesperson said in a statement.</p>

<p>Michel worked with the company since the 1980s and before that his father had also been a consultant of the company for the Indian territory, the statement said.</p>

<p>He was allegedly a frequent visitor to India and was operating as a middleman for defence procurement through a wide network of sources cultivated in the IAF and the Defence Ministry at different levels, including through retired and serving IAF officials, the agency said.</p>

<p>Michel allegedly shared the information collected from the IAF and the ministry with his associates, who used to transmit the despatches through fax to other counterparts sitting in Italy and Switzerland, the CBI said.</p>

<p>"...He was updating and informing the management of Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland, namely Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini and others, about his efforts in India for securing supply contract of VVIP Helicopters," the statement said.</p>

<p>In July 2006, AgustaWestland's commercial manager Renzo Lunardi had proposed that Michel will join other middlemen Ralph Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa in carrying out "scouting and monitoring activities" with regard to the acquisition of helicopters in India, keeping in view of his "knowledge of Indian military operational mechanism", it said.</p>

<p>During that meeting in Italy, they had negotiated a comprehensive fee equal to 7 per cent of the supply contract amount to cover the expenses and their payments.</p>

<p>Michel allegedly entered into 12 contracts through two of his firms -- London-based Global Trade and Commerce and Dubai-based Global Services FZE -- with Finmeccanica to camouflage and legitimise the alleged bribe received by him for clinching the deal, the CBI said.&nbsp;</p>


Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in politically-sensitive Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, was brought to India late Tuesday night following his extradition by the UAE, the CBI said.

Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in politically-sensitive Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, was brought to India late Tuesday night following his extradition by the UAE, the CBI said. The ruling BJP said the extradition in the case from the UPA era is a diplomatic victory for India and could spell "serious trouble" for the Congress's "first family", referring to Gandhis. It also asserted that the development was an unequivocal affirmation of the Narendra Modi government's "seriousness in fighting corruption". Michel landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on a Gulfstream jet at 2235 hours, official sources said. Sources: Questioning of alleged middleman in the #AgustaWestland helicopter deal, #ChristianMichel continues at CBI HQ, he will be produced in Delhi's Patiala House Court later today (file pic) pic.twitter.com/Uw0KuE1NDC — ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2018 × Sources: Questioning of alleged middleman in the #AgustaWestland helicopter deal, #ChristianMichel continues at CBI HQ, he will be produced in Delhi's Patiala House Court later today (file pic) pic.twitter.com/Uw0KuE1NDC — ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2018 × #WATCH: Christian Michel, alleged middleman in AgustaWestland chopper deal, brought to Delhi after being extradited from UAE pic.twitter.com/33e23YkNm9 — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2018 × Delhi: Christian Michel, alleged middleman in AgustaWestland chopper deal, brought to India after being extradited from UAE pic.twitter.com/wzNH27JM5b — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2018 × The operation code-named 'Unicorn' was carried out under the guidance of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and being coordinated by interim CBI Director M Nageswar Rao, the CBI spokesperson said. A team of the agency's officers led by Joint Director Sai Manohar was in Dubai to bring him back, it said. The agency said that Michel has been brought back to India after completion of the extradition process. The UAE government had cleared the extradition of 57-year-old Michel after his appeal against the move was turned down by a court there. His alleged involvement in the chopper deal surfaced in 2012 as a middleman for swinging the deal in favour of AgustaWestland and for making illegal payment of commissions or kickbacks to the Indian authorities, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said. Michel was wanted for investigation but he escaped and had avoided joining the probe, he said. A charge sheet was filed against him in September last year. "An open non-bailable arrest warrant dated September 24, 2015, was issued by the special judge, CBI cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi," he said. On the basis of this warrant, a Red Corner Notice was issued by the Interpol which led to his arrest in Dubai in February 2017, he said. It was not immediately clear whether Michel would be kept in a safe house or in the CBI headquarters itself for the night before being produced in a court. "Michel, who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in India in the AgustaWestland case, is being extradited by the UAE authorities to India. "Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by the in-charge Director of CBI, M Nageswara Rao," he said. Michel was behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent to custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. The Dubai Court of Cassation had earlier dismissed the two objections filed by Michel's lawyers and upheld the appellate court's decision to consider the possibility of extraditing him to the competent Indian authorities. It was alleged that he had entered into a criminal conspiracy with co-accused persons, which included the then IAF chief SP Tyagi and his family members, and the public servants had abused their official positions by reducing service ceiling of the VVIPs helicopter from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres. The reduction in ceiling made AgustaWestland eligible for contract worth 556.262 million Euros, which was awarded to it by the Defence Ministry on February 08, 2010, for procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters. He has been alleged to be a "historical consultant" of the AgustaWestland helicopters in the UK with technical operational knowledge of the aircraft, the military bases and the pilots, the CBI spokesperson said in a statement. Michel worked with the company since the 1980s and before that his father had also been a consultant of the company for the Indian territory, the statement said. He was allegedly a frequent visitor to India and was operating as a middleman for defence procurement through a wide network of sources cultivated in the IAF and the Defence Ministry at different levels, including through retired and serving IAF officials, the agency said. Michel allegedly shared the information collected from the IAF and the ministry with his associates, who used to transmit the despatches through fax to other counterparts sitting in Italy and Switzerland, the CBI said. "...He was updating and informing the management of Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland, namely Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini and others, about his efforts in India for securing supply contract of VVIP Helicopters," the statement said. In July 2006, AgustaWestland's commercial manager Renzo Lunardi had proposed that Michel will join other middlemen Ralph Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa in carrying out "scouting and monitoring activities" with regard to the acquisition of helicopters in India, keeping in view of his "knowledge of Indian military operational mechanism", it said. During that meeting in Italy, they had negotiated a comprehensive fee equal to 7 per cent of the supply contract amount to cover the expenses and their payments. Michel allegedly entered into 12 contracts through two of his firms -- London-based Global Trade and Commerce and Dubai-based Global Services FZE -- with Finmeccanica to camouflage and legitimise the alleged bribe received by him for clinching the deal, the CBI said.

VVIP chopper case accused Christian Michel brought to India after extradition from UAE

<p>CBI on September 1 filed a chargesheet against nine people, including former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi in the VVIP chopper scam involving the Italian company AgustaWestland.</p>

<p>The chargesheet was filed in a Delhi court before Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar.</p>

<p>Others named chargesheet include SP Tyagi&#39;s cousin Sanjeev alias Julie and advocate Gautam Khaitan.</p>

<p>The Rs 450 crore AugustaWestland scam is India&#39;s biggest defence procurement scam since the 1980s.</p>

<p>SP Tyagi has been accused of changing the terms of the tender to help AugustaWestland -- which manufactures helicopters -- bag the deal.</p>

<p>In 2010, investigators found that the Italian company had paid several middlemen and possibly Indian politicians to get the contract to deliver 12 AW101 helicopters at a price of Rs 3,546 crores (roughly $33.9 billion) to the Indian government. The helicopters were to be purchased for very senior political leaders.</p>

<p>CBI had alleged that Khaitan was the &quot;brain&quot; behind how the bribe money reached India.</p>

<p>SP Tyagi, 71, was arrested by CBI on December 9 last year along with Sanjeev Tyagi and Khaitan. He was later granted bail by the trial court on December 26.</p>

<p>Tyagi had retired as the IAF chief in 2007.</p>


The Rs 450 crore AugustaWestland scam is India's biggest defence procurement scam since the 1980s

CBI on September 1 filed a chargesheet against nine people, including former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi in the VVIP chopper scam involving the Italian company AgustaWestland. The chargesheet was filed in a Delhi court before Special CBI Judge Arvind Kumar. Others named chargesheet include SP Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev alias Julie and advocate Gautam Khaitan. The Rs 450 crore AugustaWestland scam is India's biggest defence procurement scam since the 1980s. SP Tyagi has been accused of changing the terms of the tender to help AugustaWestland -- which manufactures helicopters -- bag the deal. In 2010, investigators found that the Italian company had paid several middlemen and possibly Indian politicians to get the contract to deliver 12 AW101 helicopters at a price of Rs 3,546 crores (roughly $33.9 billion) to the Indian government. The helicopters were to be purchased for very senior political leaders. CBI had alleged that Khaitan was the "brain" behind how the bribe money reached India. SP Tyagi, 71, was arrested by CBI on December 9 last year along with Sanjeev Tyagi and Khaitan. He was later granted bail by the trial court on December 26. Tyagi had retired as the IAF chief in 2007.

CBI files chargesheet against former IAF chief SP Tyagi in  AgustaWestland chopper scam

<p>A special court in India on Saturday issued a non-bailable open-ended&nbsp;warrant against British national Christian Michel James and re-summoned two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper scam.</p>

<p>James allegedly received around Rs 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland&nbsp;in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, reported ANI.</p>

<p>The Patiala House Court in Delhi reissued fresh summons against India-based firm M/s Media Exim Private Limited and its directors RK Nanda and JB Subramaniyam after they had previously failed to appear before it. They were asked to be present for the next hearing on February 22.</p>

<p>The Enforcement Directorate in June last year had filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company, in its ongoing money laundering probe in the VVIP chopper scam involving the purchase of 12 helicopters. A part of the finance ministry, the enforcement directorate is responsible for enforcing economic laws and dealing with economic crime in India.</p>

<p>The court issued the arrest warrant against James after it was informed that the alleged middleman was out of India. The Enforcement Directorate requested for a warrant to bring him in the country to face trial. An open-ended arrest warrant does not carry a time limit for its execution.</p>

<p>According to the Enforcement Directorate, Media Exim is a shell company of James and incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks&mdash; an illicit payment made to someone in return for facilitating a transaction or appointment).</p>

<p>Former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi and two others were sent to jail till December 30 for his alleged involvement in the scam. Tyagi has been accused of changing the terms of the tender to help AugustaWestland, an Italian company which manufactures helicopters, bag the defence procurement deal.</p>

<p>In 2010, investigators found that the Italian company had paid several middlemen and possibly Indian politicians to get the contract to deliver 12 AW101 helicopters at a price of Rs 3,546 crores (roughly $33.9 billion) to the Indian government. The helicopters were to be purchased for very senior political leaders.</p>

<p>The defence scam had repercussions in Italy too after its highest court handed AugustaWestland chairman Bruno Spagnolin a four-and-a-half prison sentence in 2013.</p>

<p>(WION with&nbsp;inputs from agencies)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The court also issues fresh summons against two directors of an India-based firm, M/s Media Exim Private

A special court in India on Saturday issued a non-bailable open-ended warrant against British national Christian Michel James and re-summoned two other accused in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper scam. James allegedly received around Rs 225 crore as kickbacks from AgustaWestland in the guise of transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, reported ANI. The Patiala House Court in Delhi reissued fresh summons against India-based firm M/s Media Exim Private Limited and its directors RK Nanda and JB Subramaniyam after they had previously failed to appear before it. They were asked to be present for the next hearing on February 22. The Enforcement Directorate in June last year had filed a fresh charge sheet against James and three others, including the company, in its ongoing money laundering probe in the VVIP chopper scam involving the purchase of 12 helicopters. A part of the finance ministry, the enforcement directorate is responsible for enforcing economic laws and dealing with economic crime in India. The court issued the arrest warrant against James after it was informed that the alleged middleman was out of India. The Enforcement Directorate requested for a warrant to bring him in the country to face trial. An open-ended arrest warrant does not carry a time limit for its execution. According to the Enforcement Directorate, Media Exim is a shell company of James and incorporated for facilitating transactions of kickbacks— an illicit payment made to someone in return for facilitating a transaction or appointment). Former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi and two others were sent to jail till December 30 for his alleged involvement in the scam. Tyagi has been accused of changing the terms of the tender to help AugustaWestland, an Italian company which manufactures helicopters, bag the defence procurement deal. In 2010, investigators found that the Italian company had paid several middlemen and possibly Indian politicians to get the contract to deliver 12 AW101 helicopters at a price of Rs 3,546 crores (roughly $33.9 billion) to the Indian government. The helicopters were to be purchased for very senior political leaders. The defence scam had repercussions in Italy too after its highest court handed AugustaWestland chairman Bruno Spagnolin a four-and-a-half prison sentence in 2013. (WION with inputs from agencies)

AgustaWestland chopper scam: Court issues non-bailable warrant against British national