AgustaWestland: The importance of Rajeev Saxena and how he will help crack the money trail

New Delhi, Jan 31: A web of companies had been created in Tunisia, Mauritius and Dubai to park the kickbacks paid by AgustaWestland.

This information was given by alleged middleman, James Christian Michel, while he was interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The money trail is a complex one in this case and hence the extradition of Rajeev Saxena is extremely important explained an officer from the Enforcement Directorate.

Rajeev Saxena, an accused in the AgustaWestland scam was deported from the UAE to India. He has been accused of money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate.

An alleged lobbyist in the case, Deepak Talwar too was brought down to India from Dubai. A plane carrying the two took off from Dubai at 5.30 pm local time. India had requested the extradition after they had failed to join the investigation.

An ED official tells OneIndia that cracking the money trail is extremely crucial to the case.

We have ample details from Michel and have also been questioning Gautam Khaitan. The questioning of these persons will help us establish the money trail and it would also become amply clear who are the persons who have received the kickbacks. It is clear that they were also acting at the behest of some high and mighty people and we will get to the bottom of it, the officer also explained.

Saxena's lawyers however claimed that he was picked up illegally. There was no extradition proceedings in the UAE and he was not given access to his family or legal team.

The extradition comes close on the heels of alleged middleman in the scam, James Christian Michel being brought down to India. Michel is currently being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

It may be recalled that Saxena's wife had been arrested in July 2017 as she was the director of M/s UHY Saxena, Dubai and M/s Matrix Holdings. Saxena is also a director in these companies and it was claimed by investigators that it was though these firms that the proceeds of the crime had been routed.

The ED says that M/s Agusta Westland International Ltd, UK paid an amount of Euro 58 million as kickbacks through M/s Gordian Services Sarl, Tunisia and M/s IDS Sarl, Tunisia for the deal involving 12 VVIP choppers.

"These companies further siphoned off the said money/proceeds of crime in the name of consultancy contracts to M/s Interstellar Technologies Ltd, Mauritius and others, which were further transferred to M/s UHY Saxena, Dubai, M/s Matrix Holdings Ltd. Dubai and others."

The agency further said that Rajiv was the beneficial owner of M/s Interstellar Technologies Ltd, Mauritius. Both companies received proceeds of the crime in their respective bank accounts in Dubai from M/s Interstellar Technologies Ltd, the ED revealed. Further the ED said that the Rajiv and Shivani Saxena had transferred a huge amount of money through their companies at Dubai to other accounts.