Former IAF chief SP Tyagi Was Involved in VVIP Chopper Deal: Italian Court

[rock127]

Since Sonia Gandhi(who can't learn proper Hindi in 50 years) was the driving force in this scam also, we SHOULD deport her back to where she belongs to and SHOULD take her whole Kunba(Pappu Gandhi and Vadra family) with her too.

 

[harsh]

Italian chopper firm AgustaWestland had allotted Rs 50 cr to ‘manage’ media: Meenakshi Lekhi

BJP today raised the AgustaWestland issue in Lok Sabha, expressing concern over the reported misuse of media by the Italian company which had earmarked Rs 50 crore for the purpose to clinch the VVIP chopper deal.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Meenakshi Lekhi suggested that the middleman Christian Michel had been given the amount to ‘manage’ the media.

Amid strong protests from Congress for allowing raising the issue, Lekhi said it was unfortunate that media which is an organ of healthy democracy has been “misused”.

“It amounts to misuse of the freedom of expression. It is irresponsible as media is part of democratic structure”, she remarked.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, supported by party colleagues, protested to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. “I respect you much. You should not have allowed this. Please don’t do this”, he was heard remarking.

Amid the protests, the Speaker adjourned the House for the lunch recess.

Reports had it Christian Michel, a British businessman and an alleged middleman in the deal, was paid millions of dollars by AgustaWestland.

A large portion of the money paid by AgustaWestland to Michel is “completely disproportionate” to the work he did for the company, the Milan Court of Appeals has held. Interpol issued a red corner notice against Michel on India’s request in December 2015.

The Milan court had noted that Michel was paid over 44 million euros by AgustaWestland for various contracts, which included a deal to supply spare parts for Indian naval helicopters and a post-contract service deal for the VVIP chopper contract.

SOURCE : ECONOMIC TIMES

 

[smestarz]

Italian chopper firm AgustaWestland had allotted Rs 50 cr to ‘manage’ media: Meenakshi Lekhi

BJP today raised the AgustaWestland issue in Lok Sabha, expressing concern over the reported misuse of media by the Italian company which had earmarked Rs 50 crore for the purpose to clinch the VVIP chopper deal.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Meenakshi Lekhi suggested that the middleman Christian Michel had been given the amount to ‘manage’ the media.

Amid strong protests from Congress for allowing raising the issue, Lekhi said it was unfortunate that media which is an organ of healthy democracy has been “misused”.

“It amounts to misuse of the freedom of expression. It is irresponsible as media is part of democratic structure”, she remarked.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, supported by party colleagues, protested to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. “I respect you much. You should not have allowed this. Please don’t do this”, he was heard remarking.

Amid the protests, the Speaker adjourned the House for the lunch recess.

Reports had it Christian Michel, a British businessman and an alleged middleman in the deal, was paid millions of dollars by AgustaWestland.

A large portion of the money paid by AgustaWestland to Michel is “completely disproportionate” to the work he did for the company, the Milan Court of Appeals has held. Interpol issued a red corner notice against Michel on India’s request in December 2015.

The Milan court had noted that Michel was paid over 44 million euros by AgustaWestland for various contracts, which included a deal to supply spare parts for Indian naval helicopters and a post-contract service deal for the VVIP chopper contract.

SOURCE : ECONOMIC TIMES

LOL Michel paid an equivalent to price of Su-30 MKI to manage deal of 12 AW 101 .. Awesome !!!

 

[spikey360]

Although off-topic, IMHO the agencies should also try and find out if some of the serving officers of IAF are involved in the potential scam of trying to but everything American and cancelling every Russian deal on the anvil.
There is a very big possibility that IAF has been infiltrated by a pro-US agent at a very high level, if not the top.

 

[DingDong]

From my person interaction with people, I have derived the conclusion that people are half-convinced about all the drama unfolding as it is. Most of the people suspect that it is nothing more than a political controversy.

We will hears lot of noises from all sides, but no real culprit will ever get caught or punished. More than anybody, Modi's reputation is at stake. People know what happened in Bofors case, Just like his predecessors, Bajpayee allowed the case to bite dust and rot. We know what happened in Sharadha case.

People don't want media trials, people want to see real trials and real punishments.

 

[Zebra]

Although off-topic, IMHO the agencies should also try and find out if some of the serving officers of IAF are involved in the potential scam of trying to but everything American and cancelling every Russian deal on the anvil.
There is a very big possibility that IAF has been infiltrated by a pro-US agent at a very high level, if not the top.

Sir, who gonna try and find it out the scam in Su-30 deal.....?

 

[harsh]

Chopper scam: How and when SP Tyagi became a 'gorgeous girl'

NEW DELHI: Former Air Force chief SP Tyagi was codenamed "Giuli" - Italian for 'gorgeous girl' - by the European middlemen in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP chopper AgustaWestland scam, taped conversations accessed by investigators have revealed.
TOI has exclusively accessed documents that reveal this, among other facts.

Investigators say that "Giuli" is often written as "Giulia", as well.

Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa are the middlemen who are heard referring to Tyagi as "Giuli" . Documents TOI has also state that Tyagi was accompanied by Haschke and Gerosa at the Milan-Malpensa airport on March 25, 2012.
" ... On 25-03.2012, Haschke and Gerosa accompany Tyagi (aka Giuli) to the airport of Milan/Malpensa and on the return trip, they make a general summary. They agree that Giuli is agitated about the (Italian) investigation," according to one of the recorded conversations shared by Italy with the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
Documents shared with India also reveal that Tyagi visited Milan in March 2012 while the Italian agencies were investigating corruption allegations in the Agusta deal. It was likely during this visit that Tyagi, or 'Giuli', was agitated about the Italian inquiry.
Italian investigators had been probing bribery allegations in the Rs 3,600 crore chopper deal since 2011, much before India was.
These facts were revealed in the preliminary report by Carabinieri Headquarters for Environmental Protection, Operative Division Central Operative Section in Largo Mossa, Rome, which were submitted to the public prosecutor's office at the Tribunal of Busto Arsizio on November 19, 2012 and have not been reported earlier.
The two middlemen - Gerosa and Haschke - have met Tyagi 6 or 7 times in India between 2004 and 2007, according to last month's Italian court verdict.
The CBI suspects that Tyagi made several post-retirement trips to Italy even when investigations were on. He retired on March 31, 2007.
Apart from the 2012 trip, during which Tyagi met Haschke and Gerosa, another post retirement trip that has come under the scanner is the one he took in 2008 or 2009, when he visited three Florence, Venice and Milan.

 

[harsh]

AgustaWestland scam: I am happy to be targeted, Rahul Gandhi says

NEW DELHI: "I am always being targeted. I am happy to be targeted," Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday in response to allegations about his aide's role in the AgustaWestland chopper deal.
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had alleged on Monday that Rahul and his aide Kanishka Singh were connected to Guido Haschke, one of the middlemen in the AgustaWestland scandal.
Haschke's name also comes in the Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam. In 2009, Haschke was a director at Emaar-MGF, that is promoted by Kanishka's relatives.

Kirit Somaiya had asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to "check" Kanishka's links with Emaar-MGF that was allegedly involved in the CWG scam.
"Emaar-MGF was involved in the CWG scam. There too, there was Guido Haschke. This cannot be a mere coincidence," Somaiya said.
Meanwhile, Kanishka on Tuesday said Somaiya's allegations - that he had a stake in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam - are malafide and baseless.
"Mr Somaiya's allegations about me are entirely baseless, false and with an ulterior political motive. Somaiya has been making these false allegations about me with malafide intent since February 2013", a statement from Kanishka said.
Kanishka demanded that Somaiya provide proof at the earliest so that there can be proper investigation and so the guilty can be prosecuted.
He also said it is up to the agencies to investigate whether AgustaWestland officials had any links with Emaar-MGF.

 

[harsh]

Express Exclusive: Orsi Helped Set up Fake Firms in India to Conceal Slush Fund

NEW DELHI: At a time when IDS Tunisia decided to sign a fake contract for bogus projects with IDS India to launder the VVIP chopper kickback money, ex-CEO of Finmeccanica Giuseppe Orsi made a secret trip to India.

According to sources privy to the AgustaWestland probe, Orsi landed in India on an Air France flight on February 12, 2009. The investigators were startled by the fact that the same day Swiss middleman Guido Haschke, who apparently orchestrated the contracts, landed in Delhi on Lufthansa Flight 762 from Munich. IDS Tunisia and IDS India were used by Agusta’s middlemen to route the bribe money.

Middlemen Were in Capital During Agusta Tweaking

Did Orsi help the middlemen create fake companies in India to launder the kickbacks?

Sources privy to the investigation said Orsi, who has been convicted and sentenced to jail, played an active role in setting up fake companies to camouflage the slush fund.

The sources said days before Haschke joined the board of Aeromatrix — another Indian firm created to channel the slush fund — he allegedly met Sanjeev Tyagi, cousin of ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi and accused in the case being probed by CBI and ED, in Munich.

Sources confirmed that both Haschke and Sanjeev Tyagi returned to India on September 16, 2009, from Munich by Lufthansa Flight 762. On February 29, 2009, Haschke was nominated on the board of Aeromatrix.

Sources tracking the money transactions have found Orsi’s footprints in India. When middlemen decided to merge IDS India and transfer the business to Aeromatrix in late 2009 and early 2010, Orsi again landed in Delhi. Sources confirmed he arrived on January 12, 2010, and stayed for three days. Just four days after Orsi left, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the Contract Negotiation Committees’ proposal. Orsi returned on February 12, 2010, and days later AgustaWestland signed a contract with Global Service FZE, created by UK middleman Christian Michel to channelise the slush fund. Following the contract with Global Service FZE, several meetings were held between AgustaWestland officials and middlemen in Lugano, Switzerland, and Dubai, the epicentre Michel’s activities. The Agusta bribery case players held a meeting in Delhi and one such meeting was attended by Bruno Spagnolini, former CEO of AgustaWestland who has been convicted and sentenced for four years in jail.

A source revealed Bruno along with Orsi, left for Zurich after the meeting on November 2, 2011, by Swiss International Airlines Flight 147. “Evidence shows Orsi was holding meetings with Agusta middlemen frequently and perhaps assisted in routing the bribe money by creating the fake companies and signing contracts with them for fake projects to make it legit. We may request access to Orsi with Italian authorities to probe this net,” the source added.

CBI Grills Tyagi on Bribery Angle

The CBI on Monday subjected ex-IAF chief S P Tyagi (pic) to sustained grilling in the AgustaWestland helicopter scam with renewed focus on the bribery angle in the wake of the Milan court order in which his name also figured.

 

[harsh]

Chopper scam: CBI questions ex-IAF Chief SP Tyagi for 10 hours, probes his Italy visit

NEW DELHI: Accelerating its probe into the VVIP chopper deal, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday interrogated former Air Force chief SP Tyagi. It is looking into a visit he made to Italy after his retirement, besides probing his bank accounts and other assets. Investigators suspect he visited Florence, Milan and Venice.

Tyagi, who has been named in the Italian court verdict that ruled bribes were paid by middlemen to swing the 2010 chopper deal in favour of AgustaWestland, is likely to be questioned again this week, CBI officials said, adding that others, including accused lawyer Gautam Khaitan could also be examined.

CBI officials said that they were investigating bribery charges mentioned in the Italian verdict. Tyagi's questioning went on for several hours. Others, including three of his cousins — described as 'Tyagi brothers' in the Italian court verdict and are identified as the route through which the alleged bribes were paid — are also likely to be questioned this week.

As reported by ET, the CBI and ED are stepping up their probe into the scandal and are trying to establish the money trial of the alleged bribes amounting Rs 360 crore. Tyagi, investigators said, has confessed to having met alleged middlemen during his service and post-retirement but insisted that he has nothing to do with fixing the deal.

While Tyagi and his cousins have been questioned by CBI in the past too, fresh questions were posed after CBI got the Italian court verdict, first reported by ET on April 25. Officials said that several accused as well as witnesses are likely to be questioned throughout the week

 

[smestarz]

Can we really expect CBI to do better? after all their ex-chief was in collusion with ex-ED director to try and handicap the case. Ranjit Sinha is easily the Shittiest director CBI ever had. I guess all the top people around that time were shitty, werent they?

Chopper scam: CBI questions ex-IAF Chief SP Tyagi for 10 hours, probes his Italy visit

NEW DELHI: Accelerating its probe into the VVIP chopper deal, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday interrogated former Air Force chief SP Tyagi. It is looking into a visit he made to Italy after his retirement, besides probing his bank accounts and other assets. Investigators suspect he visited Florence, Milan and Venice.

Tyagi, who has been named in the Italian court verdict that ruled bribes were paid by middlemen to swing the 2010 chopper deal in favour of AgustaWestland, is likely to be questioned again this week, CBI officials said, adding that others, including accused lawyer Gautam Khaitan could also be examined.

CBI officials said that they were investigating bribery charges mentioned in the Italian verdict. Tyagi's questioning went on for several hours. Others, including three of his cousins — described as 'Tyagi brothers' in the Italian court verdict and are identified as the route through which the alleged bribes were paid — are also likely to be questioned this week.

As reported by ET, the CBI and ED are stepping up their probe into the scandal and are trying to establish the money trial of the alleged bribes amounting Rs 360 crore. Tyagi, investigators said, has confessed to having met alleged middlemen during his service and post-retirement but insisted that he has nothing to do with fixing the deal.

While Tyagi and his cousins have been questioned by CBI in the past too, fresh questions were posed after CBI got the Italian court verdict, first reported by ET on April 25. Officials said that several accused as well as witnesses are likely to be questioned throughout the week

ter

 

[smestarz]

Can we really expect CBI to do better? after all their ex-chief was in collusion with ex-ED director to try and handicap the case. Ranjit Sinha is easily the Shittiest director CBI ever had. I guess all the top people around that time were shitty, werent they?

Chopper scam: CBI questions ex-IAF Chief SP Tyagi for 10 hours, probes his Italy visit

NEW DELHI: Accelerating its probe into the VVIP chopper deal, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday interrogated former Air Force chief SP Tyagi. It is looking into a visit he made to Italy after his retirement, besides probing his bank accounts and other assets. Investigators suspect he visited Florence, Milan and Venice.

Tyagi, who has been named in the Italian court verdict that ruled bribes were paid by middlemen to swing the 2010 chopper deal in favour of AgustaWestland, is likely to be questioned again this week, CBI officials said, adding that others, including accused lawyer Gautam Khaitan could also be examined.

CBI officials said that they were investigating bribery charges mentioned in the Italian verdict. Tyagi's questioning went on for several hours. Others, including three of his cousins — described as 'Tyagi brothers' in the Italian court verdict and are identified as the route through which the alleged bribes were paid — are also likely to be questioned this week.

As reported by ET, the CBI and ED are stepping up their probe into the scandal and are trying to establish the money trial of the alleged bribes amounting Rs 360 crore. Tyagi, investigators said, has confessed to having met alleged middlemen during his service and post-retirement but insisted that he has nothing to do with fixing the deal.

While Tyagi and his cousins have been questioned by CBI in the past too, fresh questions were posed after CBI got the Italian court verdict, first reported by ET on April 25. Officials said that several accused as well as witnesses are likely to be questioned throughout the week

ter

 

[harsh]

Can we really expect CBI to do better? after all their ex-chief was in collusion with ex-ED director to try and handicap the case. Ranjit Sinha is easily the Shittiest director CBI ever had. I guess all the top people around that time were shitty, werent they?


ter

It is not about CBI. It is about all government agencies.
Hindi me kahavat h

Jasa raja vasi praja.

Means it is on the government that how people behave.
If you still don't want to trust CBI it is ok to me but if you don't trust papers proofs then you are missing something.
Italian court says bribe was given.
Then it was taken by someone and that someone should be in the decision making position. So all eyes zeroed on the some people who were making decisions at that time. It is simple logic.

 

[Screambowl]

This is the reason why our airforce is not growing up fast. These chiefs coming from moral less family background hence easily corruptible and lured.

 

[harsh]

AK Antony, The Ex-Congress Defence Minister Known As Mr Clean Must Answer Questions On Choppergate

by Brigadier Arun Bajpai (Retd)

AgustaWestland does not make AW-101 helicopters. These helicopters are made by the Italian firm Finmeccanica, which is a global giant. It was Mr. Antony who signed this contract with AgustaWestland in February 2012 while knowing very well that they do not produce these helicopters. So how did he sign this contract when in Indian rules and regulations it is clearly specified that contract will only be given to the original producer and not any subsidiary? Who forced his hand?

It is laid down in purchase rules and it is mandatory that any arms product that India buys will be tested in India on the ground and in those conditions in which the product will be used. Lo and behold Mr. Clean Antony signed this contract worth Rs. 3600 corers when the said helicopter was not tested in India at all. It was tested outside India that also in a simulator and not the original aircraft. In another words life of Indian VVIPs was put at great risk because what was the guarantee that this helicopter will be able to fly in the tough Indian conditions of NE India?

Mr. Antony says that he black listed the firm. This is pure lie. In Feb 2013 economic times had said that Italy has stumbled upon huge pay off to Indian Neta-Babu combine on this Agusta deal and that matter is being investigated. Mr Antony and his Babus in Ministry of Defence did nothing to go into the depth of the case. By end 2013 three of these helicopters were delivered to India. On 12 May 2014 when the general elections in India were over and Congress party knew that they are not coming back to power they initiated the black listing process. The actual black listing was done by Modi Government.

Right at the start the basic price of this helicopter deal was fixed as Rs. 4800 corers, Why?This was to ensure that even after price cut whoever in India was getting bribe money it will not harm the firm.

Okay, even hypothetically we accept that Mr. Anthony black listed the AgustaWestland helicopter deal. But then what about the bribe money, which Netas (political leaders) and Babus (bureaucrats) got? Nobody will return that? This deal was prefixed from the start. The tender given was so adjusted that it will only suit AgustaWestland.

Mr. Antony says that Milan Court of appeals equivalent to Indian High Court has not disclosed any names. This again is not true. Sonia Gandhi's name had come in the said judgment four times. In addition names of Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Oscar Fernandez, MK Narayanan are there. The court in the judgment has said that during Italian investigations the Congress government of India gave no help to Italy. Why?

Congress has alleged that Indian PM Modi had a deal with Italian PM that India will go soft on marines of Italy being tried in India if Italy links Sonia Gandhi's name in this chopper gate. What a stupid statement is this ? So Italy will sentence the CEO and other top officials of Italian giant Finmeccanica just for India going soft on two marines?

Yes on one thing Mr Antony is right. Two years have passed and Modi Government also has been silent on this deal. Why?

 

[harsh]

Does Rao want me in jail, Sonia had asked after Bofors

NEW DELHI: Congress was again stung by revelations made in an autobiography, with old loyalist Margaret Alva hitting out at Sonia Gandhi's style of functioning, her relations with former PM Narasimha Rao and suggestions that the father of a middleman whose name has cropped up in the VVIP chopper scam had links with Sanjay Gandhi.

The claims made in her yet-unreleased book hit the Congress just as it was emerging from the shock of revelations by veterans M L Fotedar and Natwar Singh. According to Alva, Sonia reacted to the Rao government's decision to appeal against the quashing of the Bofors case, saying, "Does he (Rao) want to send me to jail?"

What may hurt Congress now is Alva's claim that Wolfgang Michel -father of Christian Michel of AgustaWestland chopper scam -may have had links to an influential member of the Gandhi family during the Indira regime.

Amid reports of an Italian court's unflattering remarks about the Congress brass in the chopper deal, the allegation of old links with middlemen would provide political rivals with serious ammunition.

The ill-treatment to former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao after his death is another recurring theme in the autobiographies that have been coming out of the Congress stable, with Sonia Gand hi as the target. It is bound to rankle the party since Modi government has made the interesting move of honoring Rao as the architect of economic reforms. Congress leaders and spokespersons steered clear of commenting on the claims made by Alva in the promotional interviews.There is concern if there is more in the autobiography than she has revealed in the interviews, with an insider underlining that she was the MoS in-charge of CBI in the Narasimha Rao government.

Alva's book, Courage and Commitment, continues a trend started by the damning insinuations made by Sanjay Baru, media advisor to Manmohan Singh as prime minister, during the 2014 election campaign, hurting Congress badly in the battle of perceptions.

 

[harsh]

http://m.timesofindia.com/india/Doe...d-asked-after-Bofors/articleshow/53235074.cms

 

[HariPrasad-1]

5 big-dick Indian politicians have been named too by the Italian authorities. We need to know who these assholes are, pronto. I think all of them are from the CongrASS party.
The suspense is killing me!

Not all big -dick . One may be deep hole also.

 

[Navnit Kundu]

@Indx TechStyle Now you see why I keep saying that the IAF is the most rotten organization in the country? Kabhi kabhi iss gareeb ki baat bhi sun liya karo bhailog. The IAF has become riddled with nepotism and arrogance, just like the judiciary. There are no good people here, the rot runs right to the top. It's not just about a few bad apple, but it's a case of institutional corruption. This institution has no integrity. Every single one of them is on the payroll of one or the other foreign defense agent, that's why they keep recommending foreign planes, at the cost of national interests and foreign exchange. After all, the senior leadership in the IAF will get commission for the sale they make today and their sons who will join the IAF tomorrow will get to fly these planes in a few years when the planes start getting inducted. Two birds with one stone. It's akin to a father buying a Ferrari for his son's 21 birthday, but with taxpayer's money.

This is why IAF has the guts and arrogance to keep calling for press conferences claiming that India will be invaded by Pakistan and China if we don't allow the IAF to buy 100000 Trillion $ worth of European fighter jets. Of course, Tejas wont do, because there's no commission, you see. If we are to take IAF's word for it, India needs at least 99999 fighter jets to secure its boundaries. Of course, IAF will fight the battle alone, no need for Army, Navy, Nuclear deterrent, ballistic missile defense or ICBM. IAF will do everything if we give them 99999 new fighter jets. Maybe there is even a plane which will allow IAF to do the job of BSF, so no need for wasting money on BSF as well. All our treasury must be emptied and all money must be given to Arup Raha so he can buy a life time unlimited supply of Jhola Macch with it.

@Sakal Gharelu Ustad

 

[Rahul Singh]

To be frank he did not had much choice and had only two choices. One obvious option was to continue as did like his majority of predecessors and another was to choose to retire with dignity --as Admiral Joshi did over repeated and allegedly unchecked cases of accidents-- when Gandu-family started infesting Vayu-Bhawan .

NAK Browne should also be investigated for his role in Pilatus deal as well as for his efforts which went all the way to Last-Ditch ( BRDs can assemble Pilatus BTA...HA HA) in killing indigenous BTA.