In its bid to fast-track the investigations into the ongoing probe into the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal, the CBI on Saturday questioned the cousins of former IAF chief SP Tyagi and confronted them with controversial businessman and lawyer Guatam Khaitan.
The CBI has summoned the former IAF chief yet again on Monday for questioning in the case when he is likely to be confronted with Managing Director of IDS Infotech Pratap Aggarwal and CEO of Aeromatrix Praveen Bakshi, both of whom have also been called on that day by the agency. The agency had examined the former IAF chief for three consecutive days from Monday to Wednesday this week. He was also grilled by the Enforcement Directorate for two days in a row beginning Thursday this week in a separate money laundering case registered against him and 13 others.
While the Tyagi cousins have admitted their property links with the former IAF chief, Khaitan is proving to be a tough nut to crack as he continued to be evasive on the issues of funneling alleged bribe money on behalf of AgustaWestland through the accused Indian companies IDS Infotech and Aeromatrix, agency sources said.
During his questioning over the last three days, the former IAF chief’s cousin Sanjeev Tyagi has admitted his financial deals with European middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke. But Gautam Khaitan seems to be concealing information on the financial transaction between his company Aeromatrix and AgustaWestland. Khaitan, however, has admitted that he was instrumental in setting up shell company IDS Tunisia, a subsidiary of IDS Infotech based at Chandigarh.
AgustaWestland transferred funds for the bribe money through IDS Tunisia to its parent company as well as certain individuals in India, agency sources said.
The sources said the agency may seek custodial interrogation of Khaitan if he does not cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The agency is likely to take the move next week
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 an accused. Khaitan is also the legal advisor of Chandigarh-based IDS Infotech.
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 fray as its copters were otherwise not even eligible to participate in the tendering process.
Tyagi has denied allegations against him and said that the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved. The final decision to award a contract is ultimately taken by the Defence Ministry.
The fresh round of questioning has begun after a Milan court recently named the former IAF chief and several other Indian politicians and babus in a bribery case in Italy.