AgustaWestland: CBI, ED has money trail from abroad on its radar

New Delhi, Apr 28: The financial trail in the Agusta Westland deal is extremely important for both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

CBI sources tell OneIndia that most of the evidence that they have on hand regarding the alleged corruption in the supply of 12 choppers is India based.

The CBI is also revisiting its questioning of former Air Chief S P Tyagi who has been named in the FIR along with 12 others on March 14 2013.

The probe into the Indian links to the case is almost complete and once we are able to get the evidence from abroad, we will be able to join the dots and close our investigation, the officer also informed.

The money trail:

The CBI had found that a sum of 20 million euros had been passed on as bribe to facilitate the deal. This is alleged to have been passed on through Guido Ralph Haschke who is an alleged middleman.

When the CBI had questioned Tyagi, he is alleged to have to told the sleuths that he had met with Haschke at a farmhouse in Delhi.

It was also found by the CBI that Tyagi's cousins were alleged to have been present at the meetings. There were at least 5 such meetings which allegedly led to the deal being swung in favour of AgustaWestland, CBI officials had also found.

The CBI says based on the questioning of Tyagi and his cousins, a team had gathered evidence before paying a visit to Italy in 2013.

During the visit to Italy, the CBI team questioned Haschke. He is alleged to have told the CBI that about the meetings. After further evidence was collected the CBI managed to find that the money trail in India was passed on through several companies.

Seeking help abroad:

The CBI meanwhile has sought help from various other countries where some of the persons connected to this deal are based. We need to establish the money trail from foreign countries connected to this deal, CBI officials say. The ED too is waiting for these details.

A key nation in this probe would be the United Kingdom. The CBI proposes to seek the extradition of a middleman James Christian Michel. We have sent out letters rogatory to these nations and are awaiting their response.

The government too wants the CBI and the ED to probe beyond India in a bid to get a clear picture about the money trail which would help establish the corruption in this deal.

OneIndia News