Chopper scam: AgustaWestland’s then CEO Bruno Spagnolini sought help from 10 Downing Street

NEW DELHI: After initial reports of the VVIP chopper scam that surfaced in 2012, AgustaWestland’s top executive allegedly sought help from 10 Downing Street and senior British defence ministry officials to "support the programme."

In a new set of phone transcripts, taped by Italian authorities and accessed by ET, Bruno Spagnolini — then CEO of AgustaWestland who has been convicted by an Italian court to four years in prison for corruption — is heard telling a senior British colleague to garner government support for the programme.

The transcripts were presented by the Italian prosecution as evidence in the case and are now available with Indian investigative agencies. Recorded on October 26, 2012, the conversation is with Graham Cole, the then chairman of AgustaWestland Ltd, the British arm of the company. Cole is heard assuring Spagnolini that he knows the British high commissioner in India and would meet him to get his support.

Also Read: Guido Haschke's diary - Key to AgustaWestland deal payments

For our complete coverage on the AugustaWestland VVIP helicopters bribery case, read the stories here.

Besides support for the Indian deal from the British defence ministry, assistance was also sought from 10 Downing Street, the seat of British governance. The deal was already in trouble as the Indian defence ministry had announced a probe after initial reports of corruption.

Italian investigators had alleged that the British arm of the helicopter company "earmarked" money for alleged middleman Christian Michel, while the Italian arm was instrumental in ensuring money for the other middleman Guido Haschke.


According to the tapped conversation, details of which are in possession of Indian investigators probing the case, Cole promised his Italian counterpart that he would meet the British high commissioner in an attempt to get support for the deal.

Incidentally, Spagnolini makes a reference to “support” Agusta would provide to the Italian government, which would come under Indian pressure to share the information. “How much the Italian government will say I don’t know. We will see, of course, and we will try uhm uhm, and if they will ask for support, we will give it, of course.

They need to ask for it, also to the Naples and Busto Arsizio guys, you can imagine,” he says.

Napels and Busto Arsizio guys is an apparent reference to Italian investigators in the two cities who were probing the corruption allegations in the case then.