AgustaWestland scam: To tighten noose, ED mulls chargesheet against Christian James Michel

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate is tightening the noose around key middleman in VVIP chopper Christian James Michel. With the idea of extraditing him at the earliest and ensuring he does not slip through any legal loopholes, ED is planning to file a chargesheet against him soon on the basis of available evidence.

ED officials say that there is enough evidence to prove that Michel opened a shell company — Media Exim Pvt Ltd in India to transfer the bribe money given by Agusta-Westland. An extradition request had been earlier sent to the UK but after the agency learnt Michel is based in UAE, officers are preparing to send a similar request there as well.

Also read: From news break to in-depth analysis: ET first on AgustaWestland chopper scandal

Officials in ED and legal experts say that a chargesheet against the accused strengthens an extradition request in cases of corruption and money laundering. Michel’s property worth Rs 1.11 crore, a flat in Safdarjung Enclave, had already been attached by ED in March 2015.

Michel had signed two contracts with AgustaWestland in March 2010 and May 2010, according to which he was supposed to be paid 42 million euros for services rendered by him in the acqusition of the 12 VVIP choppers worth Rs 3,546 crore. “However, the term of payment was subsequently revised by reducing the amount of contracts from 42 million euro to 30 million euro,” said ED’s probe documents, accessed by TOI.

“Against the first contract, the payments of 60 lakh euros were made to Michel, in his company Global Services FZE and against the second contract of 18.2 million euros, another payment of 57.5 lakh euros was made to him. AgustaWestland made these payments through SWIFT in its banks in Lloyds TSB Bank PLC, Al Wasl road in Dubai,” says the document.