UAE to extradite AgustaWestland scam middleman Christian Michel to India

New Delhi, Sep 18: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be extraditing the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland scam, Christian Michel, to India, said reports.

Michel, a British national, is accused of handling and routing over 60 million dollars for kickbacks in the deal for AgustaWestland luxury helicopters.

Christian Michel was arrested in February 2017 by the UAE authorities. The Indian investigative agencies had been pushing UAE for extradition eversince.

Michel has been in detention in Dubai since June. He was placed under detention after India asked for his extradition through Dubai court.

On January 1, 2014, India canceled the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF, over alleged breach of contractual obligations and on charges of paying kickbacks amounting to Rs 423 crore.

CBI had in 2013 registered a case in connection with alleged bribes paid by the firm to Indians to clinch the deal for 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs including the President and Prime Minister.