AgustaWestland Case: CBI Seeks Nod To Prosecute Former Government Auditor
Christian Michel is the principle accused within the VVIP chopper scandal (Representational)
New Delhi:
Former Comptroller Auditor Common Shashi Kant Sharma and previous Air Vice Marshal Jasbir Singh Panesar are set to be prosecuted through the CBI, pending executive sanction, within the AgustaWestland rip-off case, company assets mentioned Friday.
The CBI has approached the Defence Ministry for permission to start out lawsuits in court docket in opposition to Mr Sharma and Mr Panesar, in addition to 3 others named through the central company, the assets added.
“Additional investigation… printed the involvement of mentioned officers. We now have sought sanction from the Ministry of Defence to prosecute… As soon as sanction is accorded, the above-named public servants, at the side of Christian Michel, will likely be named within the supplementary chargesheet,” CBI assets informed NDTV.
Regardless of a number of makes an attempt at contacting him, Mr Sharma used to be now not to be had for remark in this subject.
The Agusta Westland case comes to a Rs three,600 crore contract for the acquisition of 12 luxurious helicopters for use through best Indian leaders just like the President, the Top Minister and different VIPs.
Signed in 2007 through the Manmohan Singh executive, the contract used to be scrapped six years later amid allegations AgustaWestland paid kickbacks in India amounting to Rs 362 crore.
Mr Sharma, who used to be Joint Secretary (Air) within the Defence Ministry between 2003-2007, initiated the acquisition of the helicopters in that function. He licensed the acquisition in 2010 as Director Common (Defence Acquisition).
A Particular Investigation Staff of the CBI took over this situation in 2016 and filed its first chargesheet in opposition to SP Tyagi, a former Air Leader Marshal charged with taking bribes to change chopper specifications, and 11 others in September 2017.
Others concerned within the case come with Christian Michel, one in all 3 middlemen within the chopper deal, at the side of Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
Michel, a British nationwide, used to be arrested within the UAE in 2017 at the foundation of an Interpol realize and extradited to India in December 2018.
He’s lately in Delhi’s Tihar Prison and has been accused through the Enforcement Directorate of having round Rs 225 crore from AgustaWestland as kickbacks.
Along side Mr Sharma and Mr Panesar, the CBI has additionally sought sanction to prosecute SA Kunte (Deputy Leader Trying out Pilot), Thomas Mathew, Wing Commander of the Indian Air Power) and N Santosh (then Staff Captain, IAF).
