AgustaWestland ‘scam’: Supreme Court grants bail to British national Christian Michel

The alleged AgustaWestland ‘scam’ pertains to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from chopper design and manufacturing company AgustaWestland in 2010.

Updated on: Feb 18, 2025, 15:10:15 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to British national Christian Michel James, an accused in the ₹3,600-crore AgustaWestland ‘scam’ case.

In this file picture from 2018, James Christian Michel (C) the alleged middleman in the multi-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, being produced at a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court, in Patiala House Court, in New Delhi. (HT Photo)

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that Christian Michel James was in custody for the past six years while the investigation in the matter was still underway.

Also Read: How India got UAE to deliver AgustaWestland accused Rajiv Saxena, lobbyist Deepak Talwar

The Supreme Court said Christian Michel James would be released on bail, subject to terms and conditions decided by the trial court.

The Supreme Court on Monday had deferred to February 18 the bail hearing of Christian Michel James, alleged to be a ‘middleman’.

What is the AgustaWestland 'scam'

The alleged AgustaWestland ‘scam’ pertains to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from chopper design and manufacturing company AgustaWestland. The deal was signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

Christian Michel James is among the three alleged middlemen probed in the case. The other two are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) chargesheet alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about ₹2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its chargesheet against Christian Michel James, in June, 2016, in a related money laundering case, alleged he received 30 million euros (about ₹225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

On February 7, 2023, the Supreme Court denied bail to James while rejecting his submission that he had completed half of the maximum sentence in the cases.

The high court dismissed his bail applications in both the CBI and ED cases in March, 2022.

(with PTI inputs)

James moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's bail rejection order passed on September 25.

James, a British national, was extradited from Dubai in December, 2018, and was arrested subsequently.

The high court had dismissed his bail plea, observing there was no significant change in circumstances from the time when his previous pleas were rejected.

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