AgustaWestland: Pay offs through Noida firms, ED to question SP Tyagi

New Delhi, May 5: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday will question former Indian Air Force Chief, S P Tyagi in connection with the AgustaWestland case. The ED which has been probing the money trail related to the deal also questioned top officials of a realty firm alleged to have received funds from Mauritius.

The ED is probing to find out if middleman, Guido Haschke who was associated with the firm had moved money in from Mauritius. The Enforcement Directorate is probing this case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Linking the middlemen

For the ED to crack the case it is important that it ascertains the money trail and also link those part of the decision making to the middlemen. While the CBI questioned S P Tyagi for three days, the ED is all set to pose several questions to him.

While the ED will question Tyagi today, the CBI has summoned the Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Plans) N V Tyagi. The CBI says that he was allegedly part of the discussions that led to the change in technical specifications for the chopper.

CBI feels that this change in technical specifications was an influenced decision and hence wants to get to the bottom of it.

The CBI says that the chopper deal was rejected in 2002 as it was unable to fly at 6,000 metres. However in 2005 the same was revised to 4,500 metres. Tyagi had told the CBI that the decision was taken in consultation with officials in the PMO and also the Special Protection Group.

The ED's focus would however be on the three Noida based firms alleged to have been set up by the former air chief. The ED is trying to ascertain if any of the pay offs relating to this deal had landed in these companies.

OneIndia News