AgustaWestland case: Public Prosecutor working as per PM's instruction, says Sibal

Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday alleged that the Special Public Prosecutor in AgustaWestland case is working as per the instruction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It's shocking. How can a public prosecutor who represents both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) come to court and play politics? None of these (information) can be revealed in public if an investigation is going on," he told ANI.

"But if a public prosecutor comes to court and says all these things without telling all the facts, what is he doing? He is doing as he is being instructed by the Prime Minister. He is playing politics in court," he added.

Sibal's remarks came a day after Special Public Prosecutor DP Singh told a Delhi court that the alleged AgustaWestland middleman, Christian Michel named a "Mrs Gandhi", apparently referring to UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi, during the interrogation by the ED.

"He has also spoken about 'the son of the Italian lady' and how he is going to become the 'next prime minister of the country'," Singh had told the court on Saturday.

Michel was arrested on December 5 over his alleged involvement in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, following his extradition from the UAE. He is currently in ED custody.

The helicopter deal finalised during the previous government headed by then prime minister Manmohan Singh got mired in the allegations of kickbacks.

According to the ED charge sheet, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving the purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegation.