New Delhi: CBI on Thursday quizzed a senior Air Force officer as witness in connection with alleged corruption in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP Helicopter deal in which former Air Chief is one of the suspects. Without naming the officer, CBI sources said an Air Marshal level officer was examined as witness to clarify technical issues related to the tender of 12 helicopters for which UK-based AgustaWestland was chosen as successful bidder.
Sources said the agency wanted to know details of alterations done in the helicopter specifications and whether it had suited the UK company. Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi was booked by CBI along with 12 others, including his three cousins for alleged cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy in the deal and searches were carried out at 14 locations including his the former IAF chief's residence.
CBI has alleged that AgustaWestland managed to introduce a comparative flight trial with non-functional engine and eventually succeeded in getting the contract for supply of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters from the Defence Ministry mainly due to softening of the IAF on service ceiling after Tyagi took over as its Chief. It has alleged that Italian middleman Guido Haschke, through his Tunisia-based company Gordian Services Sarl, entered into several consultancy contracts with AgustaWestland from 2004-05 and "almost on back-to-back basis he also made consultancy contracts with the Tyagi brothers (Tyagi's cousins), the sources said.
Under the cover of these contracts, Haschke allegedly sent 1.26 lakh Euros and two lakh Euros to
10:21 PM, May 16, 2013
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday got transcripts of phone conversations between alleged middlemen from Italy. The transcripts are related to phone conversations between alleged middlemen and officials of a Defence firm, in which the Italian government has 30 per cent stake. The transcripts of the telephone calls were handed over to the Defence Ministry, which has been made as an "affected party" by the Italian...
04:40 PM, May 13, 2013
New Delhi: An Army helicopter, on air maintenance operations, crashed on Monday morning in the icy heights of Siachen glacier but both the pilots survived the accident and were being evacuated for treatment, army sources said. The advanced light helicopter (ALH) 'Dhruv', flown by two pilots of the Army Aviation Squadron, crashed in the northern glacier at around 8:00 am, the sources said. They said of the two pilots, one...
02:22 PM, May 13, 2013
New Delhi: CBI is likely to get transcripts of phone conversations of Italian middlemen allegedly involved in the VVIP helicopter deal, intercepted by law enforcement authorities following court orders in the European country. CBI sources said the documents would be received by the Defence Ministry and later, handed over to the investigating agency to help it in its probe in the multi-crore deal. They said the records are related to...
10:26 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: CBI has issued a lookout notice against a former IAF chief in connection with alleged irregularities in procurement of VVIP helicopters, Defence Minister AK Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday. In a written reply to the House, he said, "CBI has issued Lookout notice against a number of individuals in India including a former chief of IAF in connection with the said case." Though Antony did not...
08:15 PM, May 06, 2013
Milan: The former CEO of the Italian defense giant Finmeccanica was released on Saturday from jail pending his trial on corruption charges in June. Giuseppe Orsi, who was held for some 80 days in pre-trial detention, faces charges for his alleged involvement in the payment of bribes to secure a 560 million euro ($670 million) deal to sell 12 helicopters to India. A speedy trial for Orsi, who was head...
12:56 PM, May 05, 2013
Rome: The 'instant trial' in Rome against ex-CEO of the Italian state-controlled defence giant Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi and the CEO of its helicopter unit AgustaWestland, Bruno Spagnoli for alleged kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal with India will begin on June 19. A judge in the northern Italian town of Busto Arsizio granted a prosecutor's request for the instant trial, which eliminates preliminary hearings, Italian news agency...
08:09 PM, May 03, 2013
New Delhi: Facing a CBI probe for its alleged role in the payments of kickbacks in the VVIP chopper deal, Anglo-Italian AgustaWestland on Tuesday said it has sought time from the Defence Ministry to discuss its contract with India. "AgustaWestland International Ltd (as the formal 'seller') has formally sought bilateral discussions with the Ministry of Defence, which is a legal obligation under the contract and is currently awaiting a response,"...
04:06 AM, May 01, 2013
New Delhi: Anglo-Italian defence firm AgustaWestland has participated in bids to procure choppers for Indian Navy and Coast Guard as no decision has been taken by the government to debar it from the procurement process, Defence Minister AK Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday. In a written reply to the House, he said the Request for Proposal (RFP) for procurement of the Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) was issued before...
05:11 PM, Apr 29, 2013
Milan: Italian prosecutors investigating allegations of corruption by Finmeccanica in the sale of 12 helicopters to India believe their evidence is strong enough to warrant an urgent trial without preliminary proceedings, a legal source with direct knowledge of the situation said. Prosecutors in the city of Busto Arsizio will ask a judge to order that Finmeccanica's former chairman, Giuseppe Orsi, and other suspects skip preliminary hearings and are sent directly...
06:10 AM, Apr 29, 2013
Beijing: Ignoring India's demand to revert to a status-quo in Depsang Valley, China on Wednesday firmly stuck to its stand that its troops have not violated the Line of Actual Control (LAC) "by a step" in the Ladakh region. "I want to reiterate here that the Chinese border troops have been acting in strict compliance with the bilateral agreements and conducting normal patrol on the Chinese side of the LAC....
08:31 PM, Apr 24, 2013
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has frozen the accounts of all accused in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal including former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi. The CBI FIR had named Tyagi as one of the recipients of alleged kickbacks. The probing agency believes Tyagi tweaked norms so that AgustaWestland could qualify. The CBI had filed an FIR against 12 people including SP Tyagi and his cousins Julie and...
03:27 PM, Apr 23, 2013
New Delhi: Chinese helicopters flew over Depsang in Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector in Ladakh on April 15, the same night a platoon-strength contingent of Chinese Army came 10 km inside the Indian territory and established a tented post in the sector, sources said. There have been other violations by the Chinese in the past. Chinese helicopters dropped cans of food in Chumar, Ladakh. In March, Chinese helicopters violated Indian...
02:35 PM, Apr 23, 2013
New Delhi: Aeromatrix Info Solutions private limited, an accused firm in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP helicopter deal scam, has moved a Delhi court seeking defreezing of its bank account for paying salaries to its employees. The Chandigarh-based firm, in its petition, has said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has frozen its bank account having around Rs 1.4 crore in it and they want money to pay their employees....
05:58 PM, Apr 17, 2013
London: Britain has stressed that it would not be intervening in any investigations into the AgustaWestland helicopter bribery case. "Prime Minister David Cameron had stated during his India visit (February 2013) that we will offer our help if asked to do so and there have been no further requests. The matter is within the Italian legal framework and we as a government will not be intervening in their investigations," a...
05:14 PM, Apr 08, 2013
New Delhi: Allegations of bribes in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal may figure in Defence Secretary level talks between India and the UK on Monday. Shashi Kant Sharma is in London for the annual defence dialogue, but may seek British help to speed up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe currently underway in the VVIP chopper deal. Cameron is worriedPrime Minister David Cameron had promised assistance in this regard when...
08:15 AM, Apr 08, 2013
New Delhi: CBI is likely to start questioning suspects this week in connection with its ongoing probe into alleged kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal. CBI sources said the agency is likely to call former Air Chief SP Tyagi and his cousins for questioning. They said that they are planning to question all the accused who are present in India, but did not elaborate on which suspects...
07:07 PM, Apr 07, 2013
New Delhi: Notwithstanding the prospect of being blacklisted over the VVIP chopper scam, Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland has submitted its bid for two military tenders to supply helicopters to the Navy and the Coast Guard. The firm has submitted its response to Indian Navy's tender for procuring 56 naval utility helicopters and Coast Guard's Request for Proposal (RFP) for buying 14 medium-lift choppers, defence sources said. In the naval tender for...
10:42 AM, Apr 07, 2013
The government on Tuesday deferred a decision on a deal to buy 197 light-utility helicopters pending completion of an investigation into kickback allegations, the latest setback to efforts to upgrade the country's ageing arsenal. ...
11:29 PM, Apr 02, 2013
The Defence Acquisition Council is expected to approve changes to procurement rules on Tuesday and sources said the new rules will give domestic industry, both public and private, the right of "first refusal" before the import option is exercised. ...
01:48 PM, Apr 02, 2013
