What to Watch Out ForAgustaWestland scam accused Rajeev Saxena to record statement before Magistrate
The AgustaWestland money laundering case hearing is likely to take a crucial turn today with the accused Rajeev Saxena recording an important statement before the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Delhi.
The Rs. 3600-crore corruption case, which came to light in 2013, involved middlemen and Indian officials in 2006 and 2007 paying money to secure the purchase of helicopters for high-level politicians.Recent Developments: Saxena, a director of two Dubai-based firms - UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings along with another accused was extradited from Dubai on January 31 and sent to four-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) the same day.
The court had earlier marked Saxena's plea before the court of the chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) on March 2 for the recording of his disclosure statement but Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal put up the matter for March 5 after the alleged middleman told the court on Saturday that he was not feeling well.
Saxena had been granted a bail in February following which he had moved a plea to become an approver in the case on March 2.‘Choppergate’: The Congress-led UPA government had in February 2010 signed a contract with UK-based helicopter manufacturing company AgustaWestland to purchase 12 AW101 helicopters for the Indian Air Force for Rs 3,600 crore. The helicopters were supposed to be used to ferry the President of India, the Prime Minister, and other VVIPs.
In 2013, allegations were made that the technical specifications of the required choppers were manipulated in favour of the manufacturer AgustaWestland. It was also alleged that the parent company Finmeccanica paid kickbacks to win the VVIP chopper deal with the Indian Air Force.
The defendants in the case were acquitted by the third Court of Appeals of Milan in January last year, although the case is still being investigated by the Indian courts and Central Bureau of Investigation.
In December last year, Christian Michel, an alleged middleman was extradited to India from Dubai. Michel is a popular British consultant who was allegedly hired by AgustaWestland to influence top-ranking officials in Indian Airforce and the UPA government to help secure the Rs 3,600 crore deal for the company.
The two others accused- Rajeev Saxena and lobbyist Deepak Talwar were extradited to India from Dubai soon after.
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