ED questions Aeromatrix CEO in VVIP choppers deal case

NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate today questioned Aeromatrix CEO Praveen Bakshi in connection with the money laundering probe into the alleged kickbacks in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP Agustawestland helicopter deal.

Agency sleuths, sources said, recorded Bakshi's statement under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after questioning him for over two hours, a day after it arrested ex-board member of Aeromatrix Gautam Khaitan in this case.

The sources said Bakshi's questioning was important as it suspects illegal bribe money was purportedly sent to Aeromatrix from abroad in the garb of engineering contracts under the VVIP choppers deal.

They said Bakshi was questioned about the structuring of the company, his relations with alleged Italian middlemen Guido Ralph Hashcke and Carlo Gerosa and the engineering contracts with Mauritius-based firms.

ED, the sources said, is in possession of documents which show Bakshi's name in purported conversations recorded by Italian investigators which formed the basis of his questioning.

Bakshi, who has earlier denied any wrongdoing in this deal, has been questioned by CBI last year.

The report prepared and submitted by Italian investigators had stated that Hashcke and Gerosa allegedly received commission worth crores of rupees from Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland for swinging the VVIP helicopter deal in favour of the firm.

Investigators, quoting the Italian prosecution report, suspect a substantial portion of the alleged bribe money was allegedly routed to Indian companies--IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix--camouflaged as payments for some engineering contracts from Tunisia and Mauritius.

The ED has brought the focus back on this case, linked with a deal with AgustaWestland to procure 12 choppers for flying dignitaries like the Prime Minister and the President, after it yesterday arrested ex-board member of Aeromatrix and advocate Gautam Khaitan in this case.

The agency suspects that close to Rs 400 crore of bribe money was pumped in this deal which was subsequently laundered into unknown assets through a multi-country route begining from Italy to Mauritius and Tunisia into India.

The agency registered a PMLA case in this deal in July this year and is now studying documents from the Defence Ministry and those obtained from Italy to take forward its probe.