AgustaWestland: CBI, ED oppose Christian Michel's plea for release

Central probe agencies the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday opposed alleged middleman Christian Michel James' plea for release in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case.

Special judge Sanjay Jindal was hearing James' plea for release on the ground that he had undergone the maximum period of sentence of seven years for the purported offences.

Special public prosecutor and senior advocate D P Singh submitted that James could not be released on the ground as the term undergone in custody couldn't be considered complete at the present stage.


Special public prosecutor N K Matta, who appeared for the ED, also said seven years of imprisonment could not be held as a complete term.

The court posted the matter for August 5.

James was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and was subsequently arrested by the CBI and the ED.

He was granted bail in the CBI case by the Supreme Court on February 18 this year.

Two weeks later, he was granted bail in the ED case by the Delhi High Court.

Michel, however, has not furnished bail bonds and remains in Tihar prison, awaiting the renewal of his passport.

The CBI, in its chargesheet, claimed an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

The ED chargesheet led against James in June 2016 alleged that he received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.