A day after the Congress raised counter questions on the NDA Government for continuing other contracts with AgustaWestland chopper company, the Government on Thursday said the Opposition party was trying to deflect the issue and the crux of the controversy was the corruption in the purchase of 12 VVIP choppers during the UPA regime. In a strongly-worded Press release, the Defence Ministry said the Government will leave no stone unturned in pursuing all means to bring to justice the corrupt and the wrong-doers in this case.
Refuting the Congress claims that the Anglo-Italian helicopter maker AgustaWestland was blacklisted by the UPA Government, it said it was the NDA, on July 3, 2014, that had actually put on hold all procurement and acquisition cases in the pipeline of six companies involved in the VVIP chopper scam.
It also said that CBI and Enforcement Directorate are vigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation, including the arrest and extradition of three alleged middlemen of the deal — Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke Ralph and Christian Michel James.
“Publicly available information on the procurement of AgustaWestland helicopters clearly shows that the core issue in the matter is corruption. The present Government has taken effective action to bring out the truth and will leave no stone unturned in pursuing all means to bring to justice the corrupt and the wrong-doers in this case,” a statement by the Ministry said, adding the time taken is largely because some of the key perpetrators of this “misdeed” are outside the country.
On the Congress allegation that the NDA gave clearance to joint-venture involving AgustaWestland through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, the Ministry said this proposal was approved on September 2, 2011 based on an application by Indian Rotorcraft ltd, a joint-venture of Tata Sons with AgustaWestland NV, Netherlands.
“This was later changed to AgustaWestland SPA, Italy due to re-organisation within the group. On February 7, 2012, an industrial licence for the manufacture of helicopters was granted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to Indian Rotorcraft ltd. However, the validity of the licence has since expired,” it said.