AgustaWestland Scam: ED Chargesheet Shows Christian Michel’s Role

The second charge sheet filed by ED delves deeper into alleged middleman, Christian Michel James’ role in the scam.

The ED chargesheet states that alleged middleman Christian Michel was curious if some particular documents had reached the CBI. (Photo: Reuters)

British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James, wanted in India in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal case, was keen on getting details about certain government payments made to AgustaWestland for Sea King helicopters used by the Navy, a probe report from the ED stated.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has filed a second charge sheet in the case that delves deep into the role of Michel, also said that he was curious if some particular documents had reached the CBI.

According to the report, Michel was last dropped by his driver Narayan Bahadur on 12 February, 2013 at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi after he which he probably never returned to India.

The report also mentioned a certain incident that occurred in a hotel in Italy.

Michel had offered about Euro 2,500 to Vimal Nagpal, who is the Manager of the helicopter firm’s services division in India, to “offer lunch/dinner” to a Navy team that was also staying in the same hotel as him in Italy.

The Indian Navy team declined the offer for lunch/dinner by him (Nagpal) and Chris Cornish. However, we insisted and paid the dinner bill once.

Vimal Nagpal, Manager of Finmeccanica Service Division in India

He also told ED investigators that Michel “wanted to know the details” of payments made by the Indian government to AgustaWestland pertaining to Sea King helicopter and status of the VVIP choppers and other issues.

Also Read: AgustaWestland Scam: Christian Michel Named in ED Chargesheet

“On one such occasion, Michel wanted to check with him (Nagpal) whether the documents approximately 9,500 pages were delivered to CBI or not,” the charge sheet said, adding Nagpal replied to him that he will check and get back.

The records also mention an instance recorded by Bahadur where he said that Sanjeev Tyagi, cousin of former IAF chief S P Tyagi, received “three friends of Michel” at a bungalow in the posh Sainik farm area in Delhi in 2008 after the middleman asked him to pick them from a luxury hotel in central Delhi.

The driver, whose statements have been extensively used to join the dots of Michel’s activities in India, also told ED investigators that the middleman once gave him Rs 5 lakh for purchasing a house in the Kalkaji area, where he also lives now.

The house was priced at Rs 16 lakh and the remaining amount was paid by the driver from his savings, he told the agency.