Augusta scam: Key middleman’s links with netas under lens in the chopper case

NEW DELHI: Even as an Italian court acquitted former Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi and ex-head of AgustaWestland Bruno Spagnolini of corruption charges last week in the VVIP helicopter deal case, the probe in India is moving forward.

Apart from probing former IAF chief SP Tyagi and other accused, investigators are now looking for politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen who used to meet the main alleged middleman Christian Michel, who was reportedly handed over a large chunk of the bribe money - 30 million euros - by AgustaWestland for further delivery to Indians.

For this, the investigators have sought CCTV footage and register entries from a five-star hotel where Michel used to stay every time he visited India. The records of Michel's visits since 2005 have also been sought from the FRRO office, a source said. The investigators hope to get clues on high profile persons through Michel's meetings in the hotel.

Sources in Enforcement Directorate and CBI, the two agencies investigating the scam, said that while about 3.4 million euros was allegedly transferred to some accused through Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, it is still not known whom Michel gave the major chunk of money he brought here. CBI believes Michel carried a huge amount of cash to India.
In another related development, following the arrest of Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan, the probe has opened threads of a possible bigger network of "money launderers" operating in India. Highly placed sources said that during raids at Khaitan's premises and other places in September, they stumbled upon data about suspected "shell companies" and "individuals" which were probably working as money laundering tools for high profile persons, businessmen and politicians.

The companies, source said, were connected to several firms in different countries. Khaitan, a prominent lawyer, was arrested on September 23 on money laundering charges.

The incriminating material recovered in the form of documents, laptops and mobile phones is being analyzed and agencies are probing the suspected "individuals" and "shell companies". Sources refrained from naming the companies but confirmed that details of more than 50 companies were recovered. "We are trying to find out the people behind these companies. Some of the companies have links with other companies in different countries," said an officer.

Sources said some businessmen and representatives of companies, whose names have come up, will be examined in the coming days and records of Registrar of Companies, income tax department and bank transactions of these suspected companies/individuals would also be analyzed.
Khaitan was arrested on September 23 under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ED had lodged a case in July against Khaitan, former IAF chief SP Tyagi and 19 others in the VVIP chopper deal to probe money laundering. The probe agency had informed a court that "investigation is of large magnitude having international ramifications". CBI had also named Khaitan along with Tyagi and others including European middlemen in conspiracy and cheating.

Khaitan's advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, when contacted, refuted all allegations against his client. On documents recovered from Khaitan, Dubey said, "The documents are there with all the agencies including CBI and ED for two years now since my client has always cooperated.

They have not recovered any incriminating documents from my client and there is no evidence against him. It is a premature investigation. Let them file the charge-sheet, everything will be clear."