Agusta Deal: Money Was Received, Admits Aeromatrix's Gautam Khaitan, Says CBI Sources
There has been widespread debate inside and outside Parliament over Rs. 3,600 chopper deal. (File photo)
NEW DELHI: CBI on Thursday claimed that former board member of Aeromatrix Gautam Khaitan has accepted taking payments from Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, middlemen in the AgustaWestland Chopper deal, but rejected allegations that it was part of any kickbacks.
"He has agreed taking payment from European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. However, we do not agree with the purpose behind the payment which has been cited by him," the CBI sources said.
Mr Khaitan and former Deputy Air Chief NV Tyagi were examined by the CBI in connection with AgustaWestland chopper deal on Thursday, the sources said.
While the questioning of Mr Khaitan continued for about 10 hours, Deputy Air Chief Tyagi left within four hours after recording his statement before the investigators.
The sources said while Mr Khaitan accepted money was received from Gerosa and Haschke he denied that it was part of kickbacks to clinch the deal.
The agency sources said Tyagi cousins--Sandeep, Sanjeev, Rajeev--will be called tomorrow for questioning. The three brothers are named in the CBI FIR.
Mr Khaitan, who is an advocate and a former Board member of company Aeromatrix which was allegedly used to route bribe amount, is named in the CBI FIR as one of the accused.
The focus of the questioning was his alleged links with Italian middlemen-- Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschkhe, the sources said.
The CBI had registered a case against former Air Chief SP Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.
The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.
Air Chief Marshal Tyagi has denied allegations against him and said the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG and other departments were involved.
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/agusta-deal-money-was-received-admits-aeromatrixs-gautam-khaitan-says-cbi-sources-1403292"He has agreed taking payment from European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. However, we do not agree with the purpose behind the payment which has been cited by him," the CBI sources said.
Mr Khaitan and former Deputy Air Chief NV Tyagi were examined by the CBI in connection with AgustaWestland chopper deal on Thursday, the sources said.
While the questioning of Mr Khaitan continued for about 10 hours, Deputy Air Chief Tyagi left within four hours after recording his statement before the investigators.
The sources said while Mr Khaitan accepted money was received from Gerosa and Haschke he denied that it was part of kickbacks to clinch the deal.
The agency sources said Tyagi cousins--Sandeep, Sanjeev, Rajeev--will be called tomorrow for questioning. The three brothers are named in the CBI FIR.
Mr Khaitan, who is an advocate and a former Board member of company Aeromatrix which was allegedly used to route bribe amount, is named in the CBI FIR as one of the accused.
The focus of the questioning was his alleged links with Italian middlemen-- Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschkhe, the sources said.
The CBI had registered a case against former Air Chief SP Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.
The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.
Air Chief Marshal Tyagi has denied allegations against him and said the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG and other departments were involved.
AgustaWestland scam: Gautam Khaitan accepts receiving payment from European middlemen
CBI today claimed that former board member of Aeromatrix Gautam Khaitan has accepted taking payments from Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, middlemen in the Agusta Westland Chopper deal, but rejected allegations that it was part of any kickbacks.
CBI today claimed that former board member of Aeromatrix Gautam Khaitan has accepted taking payments from Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, middlemen in the Agusta Westland Chopper deal, but rejected allegations that it was part of any kickbacks.
"He has agreed taking payment from European middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. However, we do not agree with the purpose behind the payment which has been cited by him," CBI sources said.
Khaitan and former Deputy Air Chief NV Tyagi were examined by CBI in connection with AgustaWestland chopper deal here today, the sources said.
While the questioning of Khaitan continued for about 10 hours, Tyagi left within four hours after recording his statement before the investigators.
The sources said while Khaitan accepted money was received from Gerosa and Haschke he denied that it was part of kick backs to clinch the deal.
The agency sources said Tyagi cousins--Sandeep, Sanjeev, Rajeev--will be called tomorrow for questioning. The three brothers are named in the CBI FIR.
Khaitan, who is an advocate and a former Board member of company Aeromatrix which was allegedly used to route bribe amount, is named in the CBI FIR as one of the accused.
The focus of the questioning was his alleged links with Italian middlemen-- Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschkhe, the sources said.
CBI had registered a case against former Air Chief S P Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.
The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000 ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.
Tyagi has denied allegations against him and said the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG and other departments were involved.
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Published: November 28, 2014 17:05 IST | Updated: November 28, 2014 21:09 IST New Delhi, November 28, 2014
Chopper scam: Part of bribe went to Khaitan's wife, says ED
PTI
A file photo of AgustaWestland VVIP Air Force helicopter."Ritu Khaitan was also beneficiary to the proceeds of crime which came into O.P. Khaitan & Co...," the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet said.
The Enforcement Directorate probe into money laundering charges in the VVIP chopper deal has revealed that a significant part of the funds transferred by AgustaWestland to bribe Indian officials went to the wife of accused Gautam Khaitan through a Mauritius-based company.
Following the money trail, the agency discovered that Mr. Khaitan and two alleged middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke received € 24.06 million in IDS Tunisia from AgustaWestland Spa, of which € 3.88 million was transferred to Aeromatrix and €1.88 million to IDS Infotech in the garb of engineering contracts.
The amount that remained with IDS Tunisia, which had practically only a couple of employees but received funds without adding any value to the works generated by IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix for AgustaWestland, is believed to be the laundered money. This was done through fictitious invoices raised to companies based in Mauritius, including Interstellar Technologies, and other countries.
The ED found that IDS Tunisia had transferred a sizable chunk of the laundered money to Interstellar which was “controlled by Mr. Gautam Khaitan” through M.L. Administrators, Mauritius.
From Intersteller, two transactions worth 50,000 dollars and 1,00,060 dollars were made to the accounts of Mr. Khaitan and the third transaction of 50,000 dollars to his wife Ritu Khaitan, alleges the ED charge sheet.
The agency found that although Ms. Khaitan was not employed with her husband's firm O.P. Khaitan & Co., she had been receiving salary. “Ms. Ritu Khaitan had received Rs.78.07 lakh from April 2005 to September 2014 [the period under scrutiny]. As disclosed by a firm employee, she had taken a loan of Rs.75 lakh and another loan of Rs.3 crore from the same firm during 2005-06 without any agreement.
“Ritu Khaitan was also beneficiary to the proceeds of crime which came into O.P. Khaitan & Co...,” alleges the charge sheet.
The ED has alleged that IDS Tunisia had transferred about Rs.9.2 crore in Euros to Gautam Khaitan through O.P. Khaitan & Co. And Euromed USA. “Investigations indicated that Euromed USA is related to Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke...Gautam Khaitan has received €80,000 in November 2011 and €3,000 in December 2011 from IDS Tunisia,” the charge sheet alleges.
Besides, Aeromatrix CEO Praveen Bakshi told the ED that O.P. Khaitan & Co. Had received Rs.81 lakh and 24 lakh from the company, which was incorporated by Gautam Khaitan himself.