‘Middleman roped in before Tyagi elevation’

The Central Bureau Investigation (CBI)’s first charge sheet in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam has alleged that before SP Tyagi — who has been charged in the scam — became the air force chief in 2004, his cousin Sanjeev, had contacted middleman Guido Haschke.

The government had decided at the time to roll out calls for proposals from various companies to buy 12 choppers for ferrying VVIPs and their security detail. As per the chargesheet, Sanjeev ‘Juile’ Tyagi, ‘proposed himself along with his own family to Haschke as a middleman’.

Sanjeev reportedly told Haschke that his cousin would soon become the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, he should look for contacts either in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) that manufactures the Eurocopter, or Finmeccanica, the makers of AgustaWestland choppers, both of which were being considered as strong contenders. Haschke managed to get in touch with Finmeccanica’s bosses,

Besides SP Tyagi, the CBI has formally charged his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi, lawyer Gautam Khaitan, alleged middlemen Christian Michel, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke, former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi in the case.

The initial operational requirements (ORs) for the project mandated the chopper should fly up to 6,000 meters, but the AgustaWestland chopper could go up only 4,500 meters.