AgustaWestland: Bribe of Rs 327 crore was paid since 2003

New Delhi, May 6: The middlemen who were part of the AgustaWestland deal were well aware of all decisions that were being taken by the government well in advance.

The close door meetings of the government officials and also the decisions being taken were being passed on to the middlemen which gave them an edge, CBI sources say.

The CBI says that all those were part of the decision making from the day the government decided to alter the flying altitude of the chopper will need to be examined. The CBI says that they have learnt that someone within the establishment was tipping the middlemen off which gave them an edge to tweak the requirements.

Bribing their way through

The Rs 3,727 crore deal was a big one for AgustaWestland. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate while probing the case realised that the middlemen were handed over Rs 327 crore which they ended up paying as bribe to officials in India through various channels.

Bribes to media personnel were also paid and this too is being examined by the CBI and the ED.

The CBI which is studying the verdict of the Italian court has learnt that the information from within the government was being passed on to the middlemen by the cousins of former Air Chief, S P Tyagi.

The Tyagi brothers as they are better known as would ensure that all information from the government would be passed on to the middlemen well in advance.

The ED which is investigating the money trail says that most of the persons who they have questioned have admitted to have receiving bribes. The task ahead of us is to find the exact trail although several details are already available.

It would be necessary for us to get more information from countries such as UK and the UAE about this money trail. Letters have already been sent, the ED official informed OneIndia.

OneIndia News