The CBI on Monday subjected former IAF chief SP Tyagi to a sustained day-long grilling in the Rs3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam with a renewed focus on the bribery angle in the wake of a Milan court order in which his name figures.
Tyagi visited Italian cities Florence, Milan and Venice in 2008-09 after he retired from service in 2007. During one of his visits, Tyagi also went to the opera.
The purpose and details of his visit to Italian cities is being ascertained through questioning.
Tyagi’s assets and bank accounts are also being checked and the reason why he visited Italy is also being investigated, CBI sources said.
Tyagi appeared at the agency headquarters here at 10 am and was grilled till late in the evening.
Tyagi has been called for questioning again on Tuesday. The agency has also called legal advisor of Chandigarh-based firm IDS Infotech Gautam Khiatan for questioning on Wednesday, the sources said. IDS Infotech is an accused firm in the case.
Tyagi’s cousins will also be questioned later this week. The agency has so far questioned over 100 individuals, including the 14 people named in the FIR, middlemen, private individuals and former SPG Chief BV Wanchoo and former National Security Advisor MK Narayanan.
CBI sources asserted that questioning in the case will be now done on a sustained and regular basis in order to unravel the entire network that was involved in the deal that has now been scrapped.
The Milan Court of Appeals -- equivalent of an Indian High Court -- has given details of how alleged bribes were paid by helicopter-maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen to clinch the deal. The order mentions the name of Tyagi several times.
CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others, including his cousins and European middlemen in the case.
According to the FIR, the former Air Chief had allegedly reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids.
The decision was, however, taken in a collective manner in consultation with the officials of SPG and the Prime Minister’s Office including then NSA M K Narayanan.
CBI has alleged that the reduction of the service ceiling--maximum height at which a helicopter can operate --allowed the UK-based firm to get into the fray as otherwise its helicopters were not even qualified for submission of bids.