ED files sixth supplementary chargesheet against Ratul Puri, Jaspreet Ahuja in AgustaWestland case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday filed the sixth supplementary chargesheet against Ratul Puri and Jaspreet Ahuja in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case.

The ED said that investigation revealed that kickbacks from AgustaWestland amounting to Euro 70 million "was routed through middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke who received approximately Euro 28 Million and Christian Michel James had received approximately Euro 42 million to influence the contract for the supply of 12 VVIP Helicopters."

The supplementary chargesheet has been filed in the Rouse Avenue Court.

"Accused Puri has received proceeds of crime amounting to Euro 704,134.57 and USD 150,000 from Interstellar Technologies Limited in his foreign entities," the agency said in a statement.

"The same was, thereafter, layered through various companies in foreign jurisdictions and then brought into India and invested in Hindustan Power Group whose Chairman is Ratul Puri," it added.

The ED said that Puri has also received proceeds of crime amounting to USD 1,240,890 from Christian Michel James' companies namely Global Services FZE and Globe Oil FZE through the companies of Rajiv Saxena which were used for the benefit of Ratul Puri.

"The other accused is Jaspreet Ahuja, who has assisted Ratul Puri in laundering the proceeds of crime through various jurisdictions by creating, maintaining and managing the foreign companies which belonged to Ratul Puri. Both have known each other since long", the ED said.

"Dubai based Chartered accountant and Hawala operator Rajiv Saxena was deported to India, it was also revealed that proceeds of crime were laundered through his companies received from Christian Michel James as well as through the bank accounts of Interstellar Technologies Limited which had received proceeds of crime from the company of the middlemen Gerosa and Haschke for the benefit of Ratul Puri, Chairman of Hindustan Projects Power Private Ltd.", the ED said.

The agency said that the court has also been apprised that three provisional attachment orders amounting to Rs 27.5 crores, of which two have already been confirmed by Adjudicating Authority, have been issued.

Summons have been issued to Jaspreet Ahuja for December 18 and accused Ratul Puri has been remanded to judicial custody till December 18.

Further investigation is under progress, the ED added.