The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claims to have identified the beneficiaries of the kickbacks in Choppergate scam, reports The Times of India.
We have mapped the money trail and where it went in India. Investigators are now collecting evidence to firm up their initial findings.ED Source to TOI
The sources confirmed that bribes were paid to Indians to bag the deal for 12 helicopters.
ED Set to Question SP Tyagi
According to The Indian Express report, contrary to former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi’s claim that his cousins acted alone in the AgustaWestland (AW) deal without his knowledge, the verdict of the Milan Apellate Court says that Tyagi met several AW officials in presence of his cousins when he was the chief. Even before he became chief, he was aware of the change in specifications of the helicopters.
The ED is all set to question SP Tyagi for the first time in a case of money laundering.
The ED’s investigation reports, accessed by TOI, mentions the details of how the money reached the three cousins of the former IAF chief – Sandeep, Rajeev and Sanjeev.
India Starts Process to Extradite Primary Middleman
India has also approached the British government for extradition of Christian Michel, the middleman named by Italian investigators as a key intermediary in swinging the controversial deal for AgustaWestland choppers.
European middlemen for AgustaWestland who tried to swing the chopper deal for the AngloItalian firm distributed the kickbacks allegedly through Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan.
Meanwhile, the BJP continued to target the Congress and Sonia Gandhi over the VVIP deal, with BJP chief Amit Shah asking Gandhi to name those who took “kickbacks” in the deal. Congress hit back saying, saying the Modi government had “failed” to find the culprits despite being in power for the past two years.
Also Read:
All You Want to Know About the AgustaWestland VVIP Chopper Scam
Sonia Gandhi Rejects Allegations in AgustaWestland Chopper Deal
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