Enforcement directorate gets arrest warrants against AgustaWestland accused

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement directorate has obtained arrest warrants against Europeans Christian Michel, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper bribery case estimated at around 58 million euros (over Rs 400 crore).

A source said the CBI, which is also investigating the case, has already moved a request for a red corner notice against Michel for his arrest in connection with irregularities in the Rs 3,700 crore chopper deal.

Officials investigating the case are confident that Michel's arrest will help the agency crack and arrest the actual beneficiaries in the deal.

The Comptroller and Auditor General ( CAG) had in a report tabled in Parliament in 2013 alleged that former national security advisor M K Narayanan and former IAF chiefs S P Tyagi and Fali H Major were among key officials who tweaked various specifications that finally resulted in the 12 VVIP helicopters deal with AgustaWestland. The 2010 deal is under investigation both in Italy and India for alleged kickbacks.

The ED had registered a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) last year against the accused. Later, in a property attachment order, the agency had alleged that bribes were paid by Michel, Gerosa and Haschke to Indians to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland of UK, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica of Italy.

The ED has already attached five properties in Delhi and the national capital region, some of which belong to Tyagi's cousins who are also being investigated under PMLA.

The Tyagi brothers are accused of laundering the "proceeds of crime" in the chopper deal and have been accused of acquiring immovable assets worth over Rs 6 crore using this money.