AgustaWestland Chopper Scam Case: Delhi Court Allows Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi to Travel Outside Country
A Delhi Court on Thursday allowed one of the accused in the AgustaWestland Chopper Case, former Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi to visit his family abroad in March and April. Special Judge Arvind Kumar allowed Tyagi abroad.
New Delhi, January 24: A Delhi Court on Thursday allowed one of the accused in the AgustaWestland Chopper Case, former Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi to visit his family abroad in March and April. Special Judge Arvind Kumar allowed Tyagi to travel to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, France, Germany, the US and Canada. The court dismissed the Central Investigation Bureau’s (CBI) contention that Tyagi may misuse the liberty to visit Italy and Switzerland and destroy the evidence and influence the witnesses who are yet to be examined. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Never Interfered in AgustaWestland Deal, Says Former Defence Minister AK Antony.
The premier investigating agency in its application opposed the former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief’s application saying he may visit Italy and Switzerland using Schengen visa, which he will procure to visit other European countries. The CBI said, “There is every possibility for the applicant/accused to manage/manipulate/destroy the evidence yet to be collected and influence the witnesses yet to be examined.”
However, the court noted that in a similar application filed in a separate case relating to the same issue, the accused did not seek permission to visit Italy and Switzerland. The CBI on September 1, 2017, had filed a charge sheet in the case in which Tyagi and British national Christian Michel were named among the accused. AgustaWestland Case: Christian Michel Seeks Permissions to Make International Phone Calls to Family.
Michel along with two more alleged middlemen is being probed in the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Michel was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on December 4. Michel is being seen as a key player who could potentially spill the beans on Indian politicians and bureaucrats who were paid bribes to authorise the Rs 3600 helicopter deal for VVIPs. AgustaWestland Middlemen Christian Michel, Guido Haschke Also Pitched For Eurofighter Typhoon in UPA's Rafale Deal: Reports.
Michel was allegedly given $42 million by Anglo-Italian firm – AgustaWestland – for bribing Indian politicians, defence ministry officials, IAF officials including allegedly its then chief SP Tyagi and others for swinging the contract in favour of the company for the supply of 12 VVIP choppers. Meanwhile, On January 1, 2014, India had revoked the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over an alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.
(With inputs from PTI)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 24, 2019 09:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).