Agusta Westland Chopper SCAM: DefMin calls Tyagi’s bluff, says he was chief when deal was tweaked

New Delhi: A day after former air force chief, Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, claimed that technical specifications in a tender made to acquire choppers for VVIPs were changed in 2003 when he was not heading the IAF, the defence ministry came out with a contradictory version.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said: “In pursuance of directive from the PMO in December 2003, the operational requirements (ORs) were deliberated at length between the IAF, the NSA, the SPG/PMO and the MoD between March 2005 and September 2006 and indicated changes were incorporated.”

In fact, the number of helicopters to be supplied were revised from eight to 12 — four choppers were added in the non-VIP configuration for security reasons. Ultimately, request for proposal was issued to six vendors in September 2006 when Tyagi was heading the IAF. Pranab Mukerjee, then defence minister, authorised the changes made in the ORs.

Italian investigators looking into allegations of corruption related to the sale of 12 helicopters by Italian defence firm Finmeccanica to India in 2010, have named Tyagi as a recipient of bribes in the nearly Rs4,000-crore deal. Despite repeated attempts, Tyagi could not be contacted.

In 2003, when Brajesh Mishra was the principal secretary to prime minister AB Vajpayee, the specifications for altitude at which such helicopters were required to operate was reduced to 15,000 from 18,000 feet. But the PMO and the SPG, in charge of the security of the PM and his family, were not consulted while framing the requirements.

In its April 2008 report, the field evaluation trial team recommended 101 AgustaWestland helicopters for induction after rejecting Sikorsky of the US. The contract was signed in February 2010.

Govt seeks details from Italian firm:
Defence minister AK Antony on Thursday asked Finmeccanica to disclose if any money had been paid illegally to any Indian entity or individual and warned the Italian firm that it could be blacklisted.
COURTESY:
DNA Correspondent l @DNA
Published Date:  Feb 15, 2013
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