Choppergate II: Brigadier booked in case relating to AgustaWestland

NEW DELHI: In a new case relating to AgustaWestland, the Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against a senior army official and others for allegedly attempting to favour the company in the purchase of 197 light utility choppers in lieu of a 5 million euro bribe.

The case is seen as an "offshoot" of the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam and has been filed against Brigadier VS Saini of Army Aviation Corps and unknown officers of the army, ministry of defence and the defence firm after the CBI received a complaint from MoD based on fresh documents received from the Italian police, said sources.

"The matter came to notice when an unsigned note was recovered during a search by Italian prosecutors at the residence of Guido Hashcke's (alleged middleman in VVIP chopper scam) mother which allegedly says that the Brigadier in-charge of flight evaluation can tilt the decision in the favour of the Italian firm but is asking for 5 million euros in return after the work is done," said CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad.

According to the CBI, Brig Saini was part of the team carrying out trials of competing light utility helicopter.

Army Aviation was looking at purchase of 197 helicopters to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleet which undertakes reconnaissance and casualty evacuation operations in forward locations and high-altitude areas like Siachen, Ladakh, North Kashmir and the Northeast.

The acquisition process of 197 helicopter worth Rs 3,000 crore has been cancelled once in December 2007 after having been finalized. Italian prosecutors found mention of Brig Saini in documents seized by Italian prosecutors while probing the VVIP chopper scam, said sources.

The accused officer is alleged to have fudged the trial flight of helicopter to favour the company for which he and other unknown officers have alleged to have received hefty commission, CBI sources said.

Italian investigators found a document that claimed the Brigadier had allegedly demanded a bribe in 2010 to swing the contract for AgustaWestland. The company was later eliminated from the race.

Defence Acquisitions Council headed by defence minister A K Antony has put the purchase of the helicopters on hold till the investigations were completed in the case.

This is not the first time that the procurement of 197 light choppers to replace the ageing Cheetah/Chetak fleet has run into trouble. The entire acquisition process for them has already been scrapped once in December 2007 after being virtually finalized.

Consequently, the armed forces continue to battle age and obsolescence when they urgently need 440 new light-utility helicopters to replace the old Cheetah/Chetak fleet.