IAF puts dealings with ''Dassault'' country manager on hold
PTI | 09:03 PM,Mar 23,2011New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The Indian Air Force has put on hold its dealings with the country manager of French defence firm Dassault Aviation for his role in the bribery scandal during the Aero India show in Bangalore.P V Rao, country manager of Dassault Aviation -- one of the leading contenders in the USD 11 billion fighter aircraft tender, had got Wing Commander A K Thakur caught by the Defence Ministry officials for demanding a bribe of Rs 20,000 for providing a favourable place at the air show in Bangalore last month.Rao's entry or any dealing with the Air Headquarters has been barred till the time his role is established in the scandal, sources said here.However, sources said, the move to bar was not going to have any impact on the prospects of the French firm or the whole tender to procure 126 Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA).The multi-billion dollar deal is in the final stages as the Defence Ministry is expected to initiate commercial negotiations with one of the six vendors in the race for the deal.The IAF has already conveyed its decision to the Defence Ministry, French Embassy and the company, they added.A Court of Inquiry has been initiated under a Group Captain in Bangalore to probe the bribery scandal where the Wing Commander has accepted taking money from the Dassault official.The incident took place only a few days before the show started on February nine. The officer was deployed there to oversee the arrangements at the static display area and mark positions for the aircraft there.The COI will probe if Thakur had taken any money from other companies also and if there was involvement of anybody else in the whole episode, they added.
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