AgustaWestland probe reaches the US

NEW DELHI: The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland scam probe has spread to the US with Enforcement Directorate suspecting that a company based in America was used for money laundering. The ED has moved a Delhi court to send letters rogatory (LRs) to six countries - the US, the UK, Dubai (UAE), Italy, Tunisia and Mauritius - seeking information on several companies. Once the court gives permission, the LRs would be sent to these countries.

The ED has also decided that former IAF chief SP Tyagi will be questioned soon.

Officials refused to divulge the name of the company whose details were being sought from the US but confirmed that an LR was being sent there to get details of registration, ownership pattern, bank and overseas transactions of the company.

From Italy, sources said information was being sought on Finmeccanica and a few more companies while the UK, Tunisia, Mauritius and Dubai are being approached for information on several companies which were allegedly used to route money to India.

The ED had registered a case in AgustaWestland probe last year and several suspects have been questioned while Delhi-based Gautam Khaitan has been arrested. The ED, which filed a criminal case under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the deal which was cancelled last year by the government, found that more than 100 'fake firms' were floated to route alleged illegal funds between Indian and foreign companies.

The ED has booked 21 individuals/entities including former IAF chief Tyagi, his cousins, European nationals Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke, four companies — Italy-based Finmeccanica, UK-based AgustaWestland and Chandigarh-based IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix -- two companies based in Mauritius and Tunisia, a few other firms and unknown persons.

A senior official said they had filed a chargesheet in the case but had now decided that Tyagi should be examined. "We had a discussion recently and he is likely to be called for questioning soon," said the officer.