Agusta Westland Chopper SCAM: Govt moves to scrap copter deal

Sends Notice To Agusta; Says Ready For JPC Probe
New Delhi: The Rs 3,546-crore deal for 12 VVIP helicopters will be scrapped. The government set the “termination process’’ in motion on Friday by issuing a formal showcause notice to AgustaWestland to explain within a week why the contract should not be cancelled and penal action initiated against it.

With defence minister A K Antony determined not to let the scam sully his reputation for honesty, and with the Congress equally anxious to protect its flanks against an aggressive opposition, the government has decided not to wait for a formal CBI report to begin the cancellation process.

“We are not waiting for the CBI report. The showcause notice supersedes every other process. It’s the definitive step, the terminal process towards cancellation of the deal,’’ said a defence ministry source.

Although the CBI decided on despatching a team to Italy within a week to probe allegations of a 51 million euro bribe being paid in the contract, the agency would not have come up with its findings before the Budget session, starting on February 21.

FOUR DAYS OF FURIOUS ACTION
FEB 12 | Finmeccanica head Giuseppe Orsi arrested, Agusta head Bruno Spagnoli put under house arrest, accused of bribing Indian officials to swing 3,546cr deal for 12 VVIP choppers
Preliminary probe report in Italy names ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi, claims bribes paid to him through middlemen Carlo Garosa, Guido Haschkhe & Christian Michel who were in contact with three of his cousins identified as Julie, Docsa & Sandip

FEB 13 | Tyagi denies allegation, says he had retired by the time the deal was finalised and had no role in changing specs. Claims that from 1999 till 2007, he wasn’t on talking terms with Julie

FEB 14 | BJP’s Jaswant Singh says ex-NSA Brajesh Mishra changed chopper specs to allow multiple bidders
Defence ministry says Pranab Mukherjee was defence minister and Tyagi air chief when specs were changed
Reports claim Garosa and Haschkhe told investigators Tyagi briefed them on tender and often met them in his office

FEB 15 | Defence ministry issues showcause notice to Agusta, asking it to explain within a week why the helicopter deal should not be scrapped
COURTESY:
Rajat Pandit & Josy Joseph TNN
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