British national >Christian Michel , an accused in the >VVIP helicopter deal case , was in touch with his Indian contacts till as recently as last month. Two of them, including a man who had worked for him as a chauffeur, have been questioned by the investigating agencies.
After the Italian court of appeals convicted two former Finmeccanica executives on bribery charges last month, Michel gave a series of interviews to the media claiming innocence. The agencies suspect that he also contacted his former associates in India. They earlier believed that Michel was in the U.K., but they found out that he was still in the United Arab Emirates.
While the CBI remains tight-lipped, sources said Indian agencies zeroed in on at least two local contacts — including Narayan Bahadur who used to drive Michel’s car during his visits to Delhi — who were still in touch with the alleged middleman.
The statements of both persons were recorded last year. The agencies summoned them again earlier this month.
“Telephone conversation with a person against whom a non-bailable warrant is pending is in itself not an offence, unless the one talking to him knows that he has been declared an offender and still is extending some help so that he escapes the law,” criminal lawyer Ramesh Gupta said.
