We never appointed agent for Chopper project: Agusta Westland

NEW DELHI: With Italian agencies probing allegations of it paying kickbacks to secure the deal for supplying 12 VVIP choppers, Agusta Westland today said it never appointed any agent for the Indian project and did not pay commission to any one.

"Agusta Westland never appointed, formally or informally, any one as as its agents or intermediaries in the VVIP programme. Therefore, the company never paid any commission to anyone," the company said in a press release.

On allegations that a Brigadier had demanded USD 5 million from Agusta Westland to facilitate supply of 197 light choppers, the company said it has already been excluded from the tender for being non-compliant.

The Brigadier's alleged bribe demand had come to light in a memorandum submitted in an Italian court.

"Agusta Westland is astonished that such press news report about a memorandum which is unknown, directly or indirectly, to the company and is related to a programme different from the VVIP one," it said.

After the charges came to light, the Defence Ministry has sought details of the on-going Italian probe from their government directly.

The company said it "firmly denies" recent media reports about alleged use of agents or intermediaries by the company in its contractual relationships with the Indian Ministry of Defence or any other governmental body involved in the procurement of its products.