AgustaWestland: Rajeev Saxena's recording of statement deferred till tomorrow

New Delhi, Mar 5: The recording of statement of AgustaWestland scam co-accused Rajeev Saxena, who has become an approver in the case, has been deferred for tommorow.

Saxena was supposed record his statement before Delhi's Patiala House Court's Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal today (March 5). The Patiala House Court today deferred the recording of statement.

On February 27, Saxena had moved an application in Patiala House Court to become an approver in the case.

After Saxena turned approver in the AgustaWestland money laundering case being probed by the ED, the court had directed him to record his statements before a magistrate.

Earlier, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal put up the matter for March 5 after the alleged middleman told the court that he is not feeling well.

Saxena, in his application earlier, had stated that he has agreed to become approver "out of free will" and "without any coercion". He further said that he "will make a full disclosure subject to the grant of pardon".

Saxena, a Director of two Dubai-based firms -- UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings, is one of the accused named in the charge sheet filed by the ED in the AgustaWestland case.

Saxena was earlier granted bail by the court on medical grounds after perusing reports submitted by AIIMS. Saxena, who was in custody since January 31 after his deportation from Dubai, had said in his bail plea that when all the other accused in the case, including Gautam Khaitan, Ritu Khaitan and SP Tyagi were out on bail, there could be "no justification" to deny him the same relief.

The ED had alleged that in connivance with Khaitan, Saxena provided a global corporate structure for laundering illegal proceeds of the crime for payment to various political persons, bureaucrats and Air Force officials to influence the contract to supply 12 VVIP helicopters in favour of AgustaWestland.