AgustaWestland scam: ED raids premises of Michel’s associate

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches at the south Delhi premises of an Indian-origin business associate of British national Christian Michel, an absconding accused in the Rs 3,727 crore AgustaWestland (AW) VVIP choppers deal case that the agency is probing.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches at the south Delhi premises of an Indian-origin business associate of British national Christian Michel, an absconding accused in the Rs 3,727 crore AgustaWestland (AW) VVIP choppers deal case that the agency is probing.

The businessman, who could not be contacted despite attempts, allegedly had financial transactions with Michel and they jointly set up a United Kingdom (UK)-based firm specializing in the sale of “luxury goods and jewelry”, according to an agency source. The agency had asked the businessman to join the probe by present himself for questioning before it last week had not complied.

“ED wants to understand the nature of the financial ties the businessman had with Michel since they did set up an offshore firm around the time India’s deal with the AgustaWestland for the supply of VVIP choppers was getting finalized,” said the source. The businessman, who stays in the UK, had allegedly received some funds from Michel via the firm they set up.

ED searched the businessman’s south Delhi premises and recovered some cyber storage devices and documents after he failed to respond to its summons issued last week.

There is a pending Interpol Red Corner Notice, which warrants the arrest of a subject across the globe, against Michel that was issued on pleas from the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

While the ED is probing the choppers deal’s money-laundering aspect, the CBI is investigating allegations that bribes worth over Rs 360 crore were routed to India by AW via its middlemen including Michel. In January 2014, India scrapped the contract with AW for its alleged breach of contractual obligations related to non-hiring of middlemen.