VVIP choppers deal: CBI court issues warrants against European middlemen

A special CBI court on Wednesday issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against three European middlemen in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case and served summons on the other accused including former IAF chief S P Tyagi.

The CBI said the NBWs and the summonses were issued against the accused on the basis of its charge sheet filed in September this year.

The middlemen are Carlo F Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke.

The agency had filed the charge sheet against nine people, including former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Tyagi and five foreign nationals, in connection with alleged bribery in the procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters from the UK-based AgustaWestland during the UPA-2 government.

The charge sheet has estimated a loss of 398.21 million euros (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros (Rs 3,726.26 crore approximately), officials said.

The conversion is based on the exchange rates of 2010 when one euro was equal to Rs 67.

The charge sheet had also named retired Air Marshal J S Gujral, Sanjeev Tyagi, cousin of the former IAF chief, and middleman Gautam Khaitan, whose shell companies were allegedly used for routing the money.