VVIP Chopper Case: Ex-AgustaWestland, Finmeccanica Execs Summoned

Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi has also been summoned.

The Italian court had earlier ruled that the deal to purchase 12 VVIP helicopters by India from AgustaWestland involved international corruption.

(Photo: Reuters)

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Tuesday, 24 July, summoned as accused, former AugustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini, ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi and others in VVIP chopper scam on 12 September 2018.

Special judge Arvind Kumar issued fresh non-bailable warrants on Tuesday against Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke and Dubai-based businessman Rajeev Saxena in the case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier told the court that it has enough evidence to prosecute former AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica directors for alleged money laundering in the VVIP chopper case.

In the charge sheet, the ED had said it had recorded unimpeachable evidence supporting the allegations against all the accused persons.

The probe agency on 18 July had filed a supplementary charge sheet, through advocate Yashu Khurana, accusing Orsi, Spagnolini and Tyagi, besides others, of money laundering in the case.

It accused 34 Indian and foreign individuals and companies, including Tyagi, Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, lawyer Gautam Khaitan and Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, of laundering money.

On 1 January, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.

(This article has been extended for length.)