Tyagi Admitted Meeting Finmeccanica Chief Operating Officer: CBI

CBI questioned Tyagi on various aspects of the case, like his alleged links with middlemen and his trips to Italy.

Former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi arrives at CBI headquarters. (Photo: PTI)

Former IAF Chief SP Tyagi was interrogated by the CBI for the second day on Tuesday in connection with the controversial Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland chopper deal. CBI sources said that Tyagi has admitted to have met Chief Co-operating Officer of Italian aerospace and defence group Finmeccanica in 2005.

The CBI had registered a case against Tyagi, along with 13 others, including his cousins and European middlemen.

SP Tyagi has accepted the meeting with Chief Operating Officer of Finmeccanica, Mr. Zapa during examination. He met with him in 2005 in India. He also admitted to have financial interest in three companies – Banshi, Anuras, and Shavan.

CBI

SP Tyagi and his wife are the owners of the three companies in addition to a fourth company – Meghanshu, all of which are based in Noida.

Sources said that CBI is especially looking at Tyagi’s trips post retirement.

Tyagi arrived at the CBI headquarters at 11 am, sources said.

The agency had questioned him on various aspects of the case including his alleged links with middlemen, his alleged trips to Italy, reasons behind changing specifications, and relations with his cousins on Monday, the sources said.

CBI has called SP Tyagi for questioning on Wednesday.

Recently, the Milan Court of Appeals in Italy had concluded that bribes were paid through middlemen to clinch the deal.

The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced the flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) to make AgustaWestland helicopters eligible in the race for the deal.

The agency had already questioned Tyagi in 2013 but this session is the first after the Italian court order.

CBI sources said the agency called Gautam Khaitan, the former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspect in the case, for questioning on Wednesday while cousins of Tyagi-Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep, have been called later this week.

Both Khaitan and the Tyagi cousins have strongly refuted the allegations against them.

(With inputs from PTI.)

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