AgustaWestland chopper scam: ED files supplementary chargesheet against former IAF chief SP Tyagi, six others
The charge sheet, filed through special public prosecutor NK Matta, names as accused the Tyagi brothers, including SP Tyagi, Khaitan, Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, and Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has filed a supplementary chargesheet in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper bribery scam against former Air Force Chief SP Tyagi, his two cousins, lawyer Gautam Khaitan, two Italian middlemen and Finmeccanica.
Representational image. Courtesy: AgustaWestland
The charge sheet was filed before special judge Arvind Kumar and will be taken up for consideration on 20 July. The chargesheet, filed through special public prosecutor NK Matta, names as accused the Tyagi brothers, including SP Tyagi, Khaitan, Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, and Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland.
The charge sheet accuses them of money laundering of around €28 million. The ED, in its charge sheet, has said that money has been laundered through multiple foreign companies which were used as fronts to park alleged kickbacks.
The court was hearing a money laundering case connected with the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal. On 1 January 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over the alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.
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In February 2010, the ruling congress-led UPA government signed a government a contract with UK-based AugustaWestland to buy 12 AW101 helicopters for the Indian Air Force for Rs 3600 crore.
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The CBI, which registered an FIR in the case on 12 March, 2013, has alleged that then Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi and the other accused received kickbacks from AgustaWestland to help it win the contract. The FIR mentioned charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and the Prevention of Corruption Act.