Defence Minister shows rules tweaked to help Agusta get contract
Even as the Congress defended the UPA Government’s decision to select the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopters, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar accused the erstwhile regime of going slow in its investigations to identify bribe-takers and alleged there was an “invincible hand” delaying the probe process.
He also accused the then Government of changing several technical parameters to favour AgustaWestland despite reservations by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
In fact, then Defence Minister AK Antony’s objection to holding the trial of the Agusta helicopter in the United Kingdom instead of India was also overlooked, Parrikar said, adding this was in violation of the terms and conditions in the global tender or Request for Proposal that said the trials should be held in varying climates and terrains of India.
Justifying his Government’s decision to opt for AgustaWestland helicopters, AK Antony said he ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe when allegations of corruption emerged in Italy in 2012 and asked the present regime to find out who the bribe-takers were. He then urged the Government to stop “blackmailing and threatening” his party or else “you will repent later.”
Antony also said he as a Minister then, had mooted a proposal for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe as it would have the authority to summon witnesses. However, then leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley opposed the proposal, Antony claimed.
Countering Antony’s contention that the selection process was okay, Parrikar said, “a litany of omissions and commissions at various stages of the decision-making process indicate malafide and corrupt actions driven by the goal to favour a particular vendor.” Parrikar also said this has been recognised by the Italian court in its judgment.
As the Defence Minister was reading out these facts from a statement, Congress leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, besides JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, protested and said Parrikar should reply to their queries. He shot back and said the statement answered all their questions and kept on reading despite the din.
He said at various stages, from March 2005 onwards, and despite specific directions to the contrary, operational requirements and qualitative requirements were set, amended and processes influenced to make AgustaWestland the “only alternative.”
Parrikar also said though AgustaWestland is based in the UK and was not included in the tender it was allowed to come for trials later on. Parrikar also said an “unusually large number of deviations” were approved and there was “exceptional” dilution of flight evaluation trial standards. These included reducing the flight ceiling from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres and changing the cabin height from 1.45 metres to 1.8 metres, he said.
The Minister alleged that instead of taking action against the company, the UPA wrote to the External Affairs Ministry, embassy and the court. “It took nearly two years to cancel the contract and that too primarily as a response to an arbitration request by the supplier. In fact, the delivery of the first three aircraft could have been avoided,” he said.
Parrikar also alleged that the helicopters were bought at inflated prices and no realistic basis for price negotiations was provided. Mincing no words, Parrikar alleged that IDS Infotech was used as a conduit for bribe money.
There must be a “robust rationale for deviation from policy,” he said adding the benchmark cost given was “unreasonably high and had provided no realistic basis for price negotiations.”
Not satisfied with the Defence Ministers’ reply, the Congress, JD(U), BSP and CPM demanded a time-bound probe to bring the case to its logical conclusion. The entire Opposition backed BSP supremo Mayawati’s demand for a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe. Azad demanded an assurance from the Government on this proposal and when the Treasury said the CBI was already in an advanced stage of investigation, the Congress staged a walk-out.
Earlier, Anand Sharma of the Congress charged the Government with political vendetta and mudslinging to tarnish the reputation of Congress leaders. He then had a brief slanging match with BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.
In his deposition, Antony, during whose tenure the entire controversy unfolded in 2012, acknowledged “corruption” in the deal, but said the then UPA dispensation had done no wrong and asked the Government to take strong action against those involved without “threatening or blackmailing” Congress leaders. He said the previous NDA Government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had changed the parameters required for acquiring the helicopters for VVIPs.
Making a spirited defence of the actions of the UPA Government, he read out an official release of the Ministry of Defence issued by the Press Information Bureau on February 14, 2013, listing steps taken by him as Defence Minister after allegations of corruption surfaced.
“It is proved beyond doubt there is corruption. There is the Italy judgment. All legal hurdles are over, you have to act,” he said.