‘INDIAN LAW STILL APPLIES TO EMBRAER’

New Delhi: Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer cannot escape Indian laws just because it has struck a settlement with American authorities over corruption in sale of planes to India and three other countries, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said on Tuesday. He said a new blacklisting policy will be finalised next month. “The CBI investigation into the $208 million deal will go by Indian laws on corruption, kickbacks, whatever it is, subject to evidence,” he told reporters. He said American laws were different from Indian laws. “In American law, criminal processes can be compounded (settlement through payment of fines). However, in India, criminal law is not compounded unless the acts are of very minor nature,” he said. On whether the three planes supplied by Embraer to the IAF would be grounded, the defence minister said, “I can assure you that national requirement is a priority. In fact, I am coming out with a proposal or guidelines for blacklisting.”