ED files supplementary charge sheet in AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a supplementary charge sheet in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper bribery scam against former Air Force Chief S P Tyagi, his two cousins, lawyer Gautam Khaitan, two Italian middlemen and Finmeccanica.

The charge sheet was filed before special judge Arvind Kumar and will be taken up for consideration on July 20.

The charge sheet, filed through special public prosecutor N K Matta, names as accused the Tyagi brothers, including  SP Tyagi, Khaitan, Italian middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, and Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland.

The charge sheet accuses them of money laundering of around 28 million Euro.

The ED, in its charge sheet, has said that money has been laundered through multiple foreign companies which were used as fronts to park alleged kickbacks.

The court was hearing a money laundering case connected with the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal.

On January 1, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of kickbacks of Rs 423 crore paid by it to secure the deal.