AgustaWestland deal middleman extradited to India in operation under NSA's guidance: CBI

NEW DELHI: Alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal Christian James Michel is being extradited to India in an operation under the guidance of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the CBI said Tuesday.

The operation is being coordinated by interim CBI Director M Nageswar Rao and a team of the agency's officers led by Joint Director Sai Manohar was in Dubai to bring him back.

The Dubai government had cleared the extradition of Michel after his appeal against the move was turned down by a court there.


Michel, 57, was behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent to custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE.

The Dubai Court of Cassation dismissed the two objections filed by Michel's lawyers and upheld the appellate court's decision to consider the possibility of extraditing him to the competent Indian authorities.

"Christian Michel entered into criminal conspiracy with co-accused persons and in pursuance thereof, the public servants had abused their official positions by reduction of service ceiling of the VVIPs helicopter from 6000 metres to 4500 metres and a contract for an amount of Euro 556.262 million was awarded to AgustaWestland International Ltd (AWIL), UK by the government of India through Ministry of Defence on 08.02.2010 for the procurement of 12 VVIP/non VVIP helicopters," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said here.

"Michel, who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in India in AgustaWestland case is being extradited by the UAE authorities to India. Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by in-charge Director CBI M Nageswara Rao," he said.

Earlier, Michel had also opposed India's extradition request on the ground that he was exonerated by British courts and Swiss tribunals. Duing his trails in Dubai, he insisted that the case was political. To strengthen his claim, he mentioned a security guard named Waleed, who had allegedly witnessed the meeting between Michael and the Indian authorities.

What is the AgustaWestland case?
In February 2010, the UPA government led by Congress, signed a government contract with UK-based AgustaWestland to buy 12 AW101 helicopters for the Indian Air Force for Rs 3,600 crore. The purpose of this deal was to have chopppers fly VVIPs like the president, prime minister and others.

In 2013, however, the deal was put on hold by the government after Bruno Spagnolin, CEO of AgustaWestland and Guiseppe Orsi, chairman of the Italian parent company Finmeccanica, were arrested on charges of bribing middlemen to acquire the deal with IAF.

The following day, AK Antony, then defence minister ordered a probe into the matter.

Early in 2014, the Italian court investigating the chopper scam names former chief of the IAF, SP Tyagi in the scam, stating that he was bribed by Finmeccanica to sign the deal with AgustaWestland.