Lifting AgustaWestland ban doesn't mean offence is whitewashed: ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Monday told a local court that merely because the Indian government has lifted the ban on dealing with British company M/s AgustaWestland does not mean that the "offence (allegedly involving the company) is whitewashed".

The British firm, along with several others, is an accused in the ₹3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal scandal. The counsel for the federal agency made the submission while opposing the bail plea of Christian Michel, an alleged middleman and a co-accused in the case.

Michel's lawyer, in his plea on Monday, said that the Indian government had lifted its ban on M/s AgustaWestland and its parent company Leonardo last November. The arbitration proceedings between AgustaWestland and the Indian government over the scrapping of 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force (IAF) also stands withdrawn. The British company had withdrawn the arbitration proceedings in February 2019.Michel sought to make a ground for bail contending that the amount due to the Indian government by the British company was already paid and no dispute remained. However, this was opposed by the counsel for the ED who argued that the arguments raised by Michel were "irrelevant".The agency contended that Michel received 42 million euros as kickbacks which he camouflaged as contracts received from AgustaWestland.


In a significant charge, the agency alleged that Michel "in collusion with Indian government officials" played a key role in reducing the altitude at which the VVIP helicopters were to operate. The agency averred that Michel was "responsible in tinkering" with the altitude of the helicopters.