The Central Bureau of Investigation is awaiting court orders on its plea for a non-bailable warrant against British national Christian Michel James, one of the main accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, to push for an Interpol red-corner notice against him.
Michel is currently operating from Dubai. He shifted base from the United Kingdom in 2005 after the Insolvency Agency barred him in 2004 from holding influential position in any business for seven years as a company of his, Entera Corporation, had gone bankrupt.
Incidentally, Entera Corporation had made over £2 million in 1987-1996 from India by extending consultancy services in various deals.
On Friday, the CBI moved a Delhi court seeking an open-ended warrant against Michel. It will help the agency secure an Interpol red-corner notice against him.
Investigators allege that he operated as a middleman on behalf of accused firm AgustaWestland and its parent Italian company Finmeccanica to route funds to India for bribing certain officials, ensuring that the deal was struck. It has been alleged that Michel received €30 million from the suppliers for the job.
As part of the money laundering probe , the Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs.1.12 crore acquired by Michel in India. The “benami assets” include a flat in the posh Safdarjung Enclave area of south Delhi, a luxury car and over Rs.50 lakh in cash and bank deposits.
ED investigations revealed that in 2005, Michel had transferred Rs.6 crore from his Dubai firm Global Services to a company named Media Exim in Delhi, ostensibly an advance for export of music CDs. However, the arrangement failed.
The accused made investments in five properties through locals. However, on his instructions, four properties were disposed of before the CBI registered a case against him.
Immigration records revealed that Michel was a frequent flyer to India. He went back to Dubai days before the CBI initiated a preliminary enquiry into bribery allegations in the chopper deal.
