Defence Ministry gets contract between Agusta and 'middleman'

Defence Ministry gets contract between Agusta and 'middleman'

The Defence Ministry has got the

'contract' between AgustaWestland and alleged middleman

Christian Michel regarding the controversial VVIP helicopter

Rs 3600 crore deal with India.

The 'contract' has been provided by the Anglo-Italian firm

to suggest that there was no wrongdoing in the deal, sources

told PTI.

The company has told the Ministry that there was nothing

to indicate that he and other people were hired by it for

committing any wrong, the sources said.

Michel, a British national, along with Italian Guido

Hashcke is alleged to have been hired by Finmeccanica, the

parent company of AgustaWestland, to swing the deal in favour

of the Anglo-Italian firm.

According to Italian prosecutors, kickbacks to the tune of

Rs 362 crore were paid to swing the deal in favour of

AgustaWestland.

Michel has been named in the FIR registered by the CBI in

the chopper scam along with former IAF chief S P Tyagi and his

three cousins.

The firm has again told the Ministry that there was no

wrongdoing in the deal and there was no reason for the Indian

Defence Ministry to cancel the deal, they said.

The Defence Minister had ordered CBI probe into the deal

on February 18 after the arrest of CEO of Finmeccanica

Giuseppe Orsi and AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini by

Italian investigators in connection with the case.