Agusta middleman goes ‘missing’
NO EXTRADITION ORDER RECEIVED THUS FAR
It is indeed strange. A day after Indian investigative agencies said that Christian Michel, a British middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scandal, would be extradited to India following a Dubai court order, the story has gone for a toss. According to NDTV, there is no such court order for Michel's extradition.
This is because there is no official communication from UAE on Michel. Sources said it was difficult to accept that such an extradition order would not be conveyed to India.
To add to the mystery, Michel has been missing since the day UAE went to court, his lawyer Amal Alsubei, who fought for his bail, told NDTV. "He will be arrested if found. He is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court," said Alsubei. The confusion was further confounded by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. When asked about the reported Dubai court order, he called it a "positive development" and said the news has created a "sense of unease in some leaders", apparently referring to the Congress. "It is a good development, but I must point out that I notice a profound sense of unease in some leaders," he said in response to questions.
As per rules, the final call on extradition is always taken by the foreign office of a particular country. In the case of UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides the fate of an accused against whom the court has given an extradition order. But no such formal communication or confirmation has come from the UAE," added a source in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
Michel hit the headlines after his name surfaced in the helicopter scam, which took place during the Congressled United Progressive Alliance 2 regime.
He reportedly visited India around 100 times since 1993 and had links in the government, including the Defence Ministry and political circles.