No delay in resolving defence-linked complaints: Antony

Defence Minister A.K.Antony today said that matters of defence were no longer top secret and added that every defence deal is conducted in a transparent manner.

"Whenever any complaint comes, we look into it and take action. So there is no more secrecy, whatever happened in the past it is a past practice, but now defence in India, according to me, there is more openness, everybody knows what is happening, hence more complaints are also coming to us. So if somebody does some wrong things, immediately it will come out in a day, in a few weeks or in a month," said Antony reacting to an earlier statement made by Chief Financial Officer Gian Piero Cutillo of Finmeccanica where he was expecting India not to blacklist, its helicopter unit, AgustaWestland for the time being.

Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland have denied paying bribes in a Rs. 750 million contract awarded in 2010 to supply a dozen AW 101 helicopters for Indian political leaders.

Italian police have arrested the head of Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi, in connection with the case.

Italian prosecutors accuse Orsi of paying bribes to intermediaries to secure the helicopter deal when he was head of AgustaWestland.

India has frozen payments for the helicopters pending an inquiry by the country's federal police and had said it is seeking to cancel the deal. It has already taken delivery of three of the aircraft.

In recent years, India has emerged as the world's largest weapons importer, but procurements are periodically held up by allegations of corruption. Finmeccanica could be blacklisted in India for at least five years if investigators prove bribery.