NEW DELHI: Former air chief SP Tyagi, whose name surfaced as a bribe-taker in the Rs3, 760-crore VVIP chopper deal, claimed on Wednesday that tender parameters were changed by the NDA regime at the behest of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s PMO in 2003 – before Tyagi had taken over as air chief – to favour Finmeccanica of Italy.
Earlier, Italian investigators alleged that Tyagi had been bribed through his cousins to change the tender requirements to help the company secure the contract for 12 AgustaWestland helicopters.
The revelation makes the political situation even murkier as the chopper scam supposed to have armed the BJP with enough ammunition to corner the government in the budget session.
Tyagi’s defence comes a day after defence minister AK Antony asked the CBI to probe the Italian authorities’ allegation that Finmeccanica had bribed its way – paying more than Rs 450 crore – into the chopper deal for its UK-based unit, AgustaWestland.
On Tuesday, Finmeccanica chief executive Giuseppe Orsi was arrested on corruption charges, while AgustaWestland chief Bruno Spagnolini had been put under house arrest.
The prosecutors also moved appropriate authorities to extradite two alleged middlemen who live in Switzerland.
Highly placed sources said India had already paid more than Rs1,300 crore to the Italian company and received three aircraft so far. But the debate may force the government to stop the delivery of the remaining nine helicopters.
Antony said, “We will take serious action that may include cancelling the deal.”
On his cousins Julie, Dosca and Sandeep Tyagi being named by Italian investigators, he denied having any business links with them.
But he admitted that he had met Carlo Gerosa, one of the alleged middlemen in the deal, at his cousin’s place although he had no contact with him.
COURTESY:
14 Feb 2013
Hindustan Times (Mumbai)
Rahul Singh rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
Earlier, Italian investigators alleged that Tyagi had been bribed through his cousins to change the tender requirements to help the company secure the contract for 12 AgustaWestland helicopters.
The revelation makes the political situation even murkier as the chopper scam supposed to have armed the BJP with enough ammunition to corner the government in the budget session.
Tyagi’s defence comes a day after defence minister AK Antony asked the CBI to probe the Italian authorities’ allegation that Finmeccanica had bribed its way – paying more than Rs 450 crore – into the chopper deal for its UK-based unit, AgustaWestland.
On Tuesday, Finmeccanica chief executive Giuseppe Orsi was arrested on corruption charges, while AgustaWestland chief Bruno Spagnolini had been put under house arrest.
The prosecutors also moved appropriate authorities to extradite two alleged middlemen who live in Switzerland.
Highly placed sources said India had already paid more than Rs1,300 crore to the Italian company and received three aircraft so far. But the debate may force the government to stop the delivery of the remaining nine helicopters.
Antony said, “We will take serious action that may include cancelling the deal.”
On his cousins Julie, Dosca and Sandeep Tyagi being named by Italian investigators, he denied having any business links with them.
But he admitted that he had met Carlo Gerosa, one of the alleged middlemen in the deal, at his cousin’s place although he had no contact with him.
COURTESY:
14 Feb 2013
Hindustan Times (Mumbai)
Rahul Singh rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
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