The Enforcement Directorate & the CBI are trying to tighten the noose around “real beneficiaries” of the 70 million euro bribe paid in AgustaWestland scam, officials familiar with the development said.
Wednesday’s raids on the premises of realty firm MGF MD Shravan Gupta by the Enforcement Directorate were focused at money trail, which moved through several companies over a period of time, they said.
Subsequently, CBI is set to soon file a charge sheet against 5 Senior Govt officials & British middleman Christian Michel, for which it has already sought prosecution sanction from the Govt. Officials in both the agencies said there will be major developments in the case in the next couple of months.
Officials cited above said Gupta, who was the director of erstwhile Emaar MGF, is under the scanner for the appointment of another European middleman Guido Haschke as independent director in the company in 2009. Haschke is wanted by agencies & is said to be living in Italy. Gupta was earlier questioned by the ED in 2016.
According to Enforcement Directorate, which has already filed half a dozen charge sheets in the case, total 12% kickbacks – around Euro 70 million, was by the Anglo-Italian firm - AgustaWestland through two sets of middlemen - Christian Michel James & Guido Ralph Haschke - for further payments in India to influence the Rs 3,727 crore 12 helicopter VVIP chopper deal. The money, Enforcement Directorate has said, was quid pro quo to make the company eligible for the contract of AW-101 helicopters in 2010.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, in its charge sheet filed in Sept 2017, alleged Michel had signed 2 agreements with AgustaWestland – one for Euro 42 million (which he later reduced to 30 million), & second agreement for Euro 28 million, with the “family” to be “honoured in full”.
The CBI had also alleged that AgustaWestland’s competitor for the contract, M/s Sikorsky, had quoted the price of over 50.64 crore US dollars (around Rs 2,228 crore) for 12 VVIP/non-VVIP helicopters, while AgustaWestland quoted Euro 592 million (Rs 3,966 crore), which was approximately 80 per cent more than the rate quoted by M/s Sikorsky. This was approved by the cabinet committee on security in 2010 with final cost negotiated at Rs 3,727 crore.
An ED officer requesting anonymity said that “We have got some new leads in the case after which it was decided to raid seven places on Wednesday linked to Gupta & few other people. We are further investigating the real beneficiaries - politicians & bureaucrats - who got benefitted through certain businessmen & private companies".
Gupta, this officer said, is likely to be called for questioning soon.
Gupta or his spokesperson could not be located for comments by the news agency. An email sent to MGF remained unanswered.
Emaar India, meanwhile, issued a statement on Wednesday saying Gupta has no role in the company. “Emaar & MGF had parted ways few years back & Mr Shravan Gupta has no role in Emaar India & is also no longer on the Board of the Company. Emaar India is directly under the control of its parent Emaar Properties PJSC, Dubai, & is fully in compliance with rules & regulations of the law of the land. As a responsible corporate, Emaar India will cooperate with any government agency.”
Earlier, in a separate case pertaining to forex exchange violation, Enforcement Directorate had seized Gupta’s assets worth Rs 10.28 crore in 2018 for allegedly holding undisclosed deposits in a Swiss bank account.
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