Retired Air Chief Marshal >S.P. Tyagi , a prime accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, on Monday appeared in front of the CBI for a second round of questioning regarding kickbacks he allegedly received in the Rs. 3600 crore deal.
Both Mr. Tyagi and former Deputy Chief of Indian Air Force J.S. Gujral, who is also connected to the case, have already been questioned at length in 2013. The fresh round of questioning was necessitated after the April 7 order of an Italian court made references to his name.
The agency had registered a case against Mr. Tyagi along with 13 others, including his cousins and European middlemen in the case.
Also read: >Key events in the VVIP chopper scandal
€1.05 million
Enforcement directorate >investigations had earlier revealed that €1.05 million was paid to the three cousins of the former Air Chief Marshal, by Haschke and Gerosa through their Tunisia-based companies, Gordian Services Sarl and IDS Tunisia, mostly in the guise of consultancy charges.
That money was used by the Tyagis to acquire properties. “Following painstaking investigations, five immovable properties of the Tyagi brothers, worth Rs. 6.2 crore, have been provisionally attached,” according to an ED spokesperson.
“Payment €4.05 lakh (about Rs. 2.49 crore) to the Tyagi brothers was made through the banking channel between 2004 and 2011 and the remaining amount was paid in cash between April 2011 and December 2011 after the contract was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of 12 helicopters,” the spokesperson said.
Also read: >Tyagi is more worried about perceptions than legality
The allegations
The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from altitude ceiling requirement from 6,000 m to 4,500 m (15,000ft) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids.
However, this decision was taken allegedly in consultation with the officials of SPG and the Prime Minister’s Office including then NSA M K Narayanan.
CBI has alleged reduction of the service ceiling — maximum height at which a helicopter can perform normally — allowed the UK—based firm to get into the fray as, otherwise, its helicopters were not even qualified for submission of bids.
I am victim of "political conspiracy", says middleman
Offering himself up for interrogation by Indian agencies CBI and ED who are investigating the Rs. 3,565 Cr VVIP Chopper deal, the alleged middleman for the deal, James Christian, Michel insisted he was a victim of “political conspiracy”.
"I felt he (PM Modi) was not being given the whole story, and I felt I must inform him of what was going on." > Click here for the full interview
EXCLUSIVE: The copy of the letter sent by Mr. Michel to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. > Click here for the full story
