New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday that several senior officers in the Indian Air Force (IAF) were involved in the AugustaWestland chopper scam. The central agency said this while opposing the bail plea of Christian Michel, the main accused in the case.
The statement by ED further noted that helicopters purchased from British company AugustaWestland were lying dormant as they were unable to fly in altitudes necessary for the chopper to achieve in Ladakh. The error, it said, occurred due to a change in the specializations requested while conducting the purchase.
"Bribes were given through Michel to several influential persons on behalf of AgustaWestland Company so that the chopper deal could be done," the agency further said.
Michel has filed bail pleas in the Delhi High Court against cases registered by both ED and CBI. On January 20, the HC had reserved its verdict on Michel's bail plea in the CBI case, asking CBI's lawyer DP Singh to state conditions on which Michel can be granted bail, to which the latter had informed that the accused had tried to escape to the United Arab Emirates twice.
In the ED charge sheet, a total of 13 people have been listed as accused, including Michel, Rajiv Saxena, former AugustaWestland Director G Soprano as well as Sandeep Tyagi, a relative of former IAF chief SP Tyagi.
