New York: New documents being examined by the FBI and the CBI suggest that between June and December 2011 US arms manufacturer Sig Sauer allegedly agreed to pay a 10% commission via a web of shell companies to controversial arms dealer Abhishek Verma, who is currently in jail along with his wife Anca Neacsu.
Commissions to middlemen and agents for defence contracts are illegal in India.
Documents being scrutinized by the CBI and accessed by NDTV suggest two illicit payments were made in 2011. $50,000 was allegedly paid as a bribe to a government official via Mr Verma's shell companies to have an anonymous complaint against Sig Sauer removed from government records to make the company eligible for a tender for army sniper rifles. CBI officials claim $125,000 was paid separately to Mr Verma and his associates for helping Sig Sauer land on the shortlist for a tender to supply rifles for state police forces via the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The CBI says its investigations are based on documents, messages on Blackberry Messenger (BBM) and emails between Ms Neacsu and Sig Sauer's top executives.
Sig Sauer did not respond to NDTV's repeated attempts to reach them for comment.
Mr Verma and his wife allegedly managed to have parts of the Home Ministry shot on hidden camera; the videos were submitted over the internet on June 24, 2011 to the arms manufacturer as proof of its access to government officials .
In 2011, Sig Sauer formed a new company with Ms Neacsu called Sig Sauer Asia LLC. Though she was allegedly providing software services to Sig, the joint venture, according to CBI, was a front for commissions and kickbacks that were allegedly paid from the US manufacturer for deals with the Defence and Home Ministries.
What Sig Sauer allegedly wanted was a chunk of the 38,000-crore modernization budget created by the Home Ministry for procurement of different weapons for different police and para military forces.
Sig Sauer also wanted to bag a contract for over $1 bn or Rs. 5,500 crore from the Indian Army which wants to replace all its INSAS assault rifles. Sig and four other companies are under consideration for the deal.
:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
Commissions to middlemen and agents for defence contracts are illegal in India.
Documents being scrutinized by the CBI and accessed by NDTV suggest two illicit payments were made in 2011. $50,000 was allegedly paid as a bribe to a government official via Mr Verma's shell companies to have an anonymous complaint against Sig Sauer removed from government records to make the company eligible for a tender for army sniper rifles. CBI officials claim $125,000 was paid separately to Mr Verma and his associates for helping Sig Sauer land on the shortlist for a tender to supply rifles for state police forces via the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The CBI says its investigations are based on documents, messages on Blackberry Messenger (BBM) and emails between Ms Neacsu and Sig Sauer's top executives.
Sig Sauer did not respond to NDTV's repeated attempts to reach them for comment.
Mr Verma and his wife allegedly managed to have parts of the Home Ministry shot on hidden camera; the videos were submitted over the internet on June 24, 2011 to the arms manufacturer as proof of its access to government officials .
In 2011, Sig Sauer formed a new company with Ms Neacsu called Sig Sauer Asia LLC. Though she was allegedly providing software services to Sig, the joint venture, according to CBI, was a front for commissions and kickbacks that were allegedly paid from the US manufacturer for deals with the Defence and Home Ministries.
What Sig Sauer allegedly wanted was a chunk of the 38,000-crore modernization budget created by the Home Ministry for procurement of different weapons for different police and para military forces.
Sig Sauer also wanted to bag a contract for over $1 bn or Rs. 5,500 crore from the Indian Army which wants to replace all its INSAS assault rifles. Sig and four other companies are under consideration for the deal.
:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
