Court issues revised LR to Swiss authos on VVIP chopper deal

A Delhi court has issued revised Letter Rogatory to the Swiss Confederation authorities for collecting evidence in a money-laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal.
The court passed the order on ED's plea seeking issuance of revised Letter Rogatory to the competent court or authority in Swiss Confederation, instead of Republic of Switzerland, as issued earlier, to enable gathering of evidence.
"In view of the submissions, the word 'Republic of Switzerland' be read as 'Swiss Confederation' in order dated May 26, 2015 and a revised Letter of Request to the competent court/authority concerned in Swiss Confederation be issued," Special Judge Ajay Kumar Jain said.

Advocate N K Matta, appearing for ED, submitted that the court had earlier passed an order issuing Letter of Request to the authorities in Republic of Switzerland.
He said now the agency wanted it to be issued to the competent authority of Government of Swiss Confederation as advised by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The case was lodged by ED in July 2014 under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against several persons who were named in an FIR registered by CBI.

In November last year, ED had filed a charge sheet in the case against businessman Gautam Khaitan, two Italian men Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke and others.

CBI had named several persons in its FIR in the case including former Indian Air Force chief S P Tyagi.
Tyagi and others, including alleged European middlemen Christian Michel James, Gerosa and Haschke are among the 13 individuals named as accused in the FIR.
Six companies including Italy-based Finmeccanica, Agusta Westland, Mohali-based IDS Infotech, Aeromatrix, IDS Tunisia and IDS Mauritius have also been named by CBI in the FIR.
CBI has alleged that during his tenure as IAF Chief, Tyagi and "with his approval", the air force had "conceded to reduce the service ceiling for VVIP helicopters from 6000 metres to 4500 metres as mandatory", which it was earlier opposing on the grounds of security constraints and other related reasons.

It had alleged that reduction of service ceiling -- maximum height at which a helicopter can perform normally -- allowed UK-based AgustaWestland to get into the fray as, otherwise, its choppers were not qualified for submission of bids.