The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday filed a second supplementary chargesheet before a special Central Bureau of Investigation court against Shivani Saxena, the director of Dubai-based company AgustaWestland, in the VVIP chopper deal case, reported ANI. The ED filed the chargesheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
On September 1, the CBI had filed a chargesheet against former Air Force chief SP Tyagi and nine others. Retired Vice Chief of Air Staff JS Gujral, Tyagi’s cousin Sanjeev, advocate Gautam Khaitan, alleged Indian middleman Michael James and European middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke were also named in the chargesheet.
Former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and Giuseppe Orsi, the former chairman of its parent company Finmeccanica, were also named in the chargesheet. The Italian helicopter manufacturer was also named an accused in the case.
The next hearing in the case will take place on September 19.
The AgustaWestland scam
The AgustaWestland helicopter deal, which had snowballed into a huge controversy, is related to an agreement signed in 2010 to buy 12 helicopters from the Italian firm. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government was in power at the time. The deal was put on hold after Italy arrested the head of Finmeccanica.
On December 9, 2016, the investigative agency had arrested Tyagi and two others for allegedly accepting kickbacks to influence the purchase of the 12 VVIP helicopters. The CBI had said the deal was worth Rs 3,767 crore, of which 12% was paid in bribes. Tyagi was granted bail on December 26, while the others got it on January 4, 2017.
In May 2016, the CBI had said two “suspicious” payments were made to accounts held by the former Air Force chief. The agency also learnt that Tyagi was an owner or shareholder in at least five different companies. He retired from his post in the Air Force in 2007.
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