Mallya offers to repay 100% bank money
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NEW DELHI: Absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wanted in a Rs90 billion bank loan default case, on Wednesday offered to pay back “100 per cent of the principal amount” as speculations over his extradition were raised after Agustawestland middleman Christian Michel was brought here for interrogation.
His move came a day after the British national and middleman in the Rs36 billion Agustawestland VVIP chopper deal was extradited to India from Gulf and handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) late on Tuesday.
Lashing out at the quick media narrative about his extradition to India, Mallya said: “I see the quick media narrative about my extradition decision. That is separate and will take its own legal course.
“The most important point is public money and I am offering to pay 100 per cent back. I humbly request the banks and government to take it. If payback refused, Why?” he said.
Late in 2017, India iled extradition proceedings against him which he has contested and pending the inal verdict in the case, he is currently on bail in London. The court is set to pronounce its verdict on Dec.10.
“Airlines struggling inancially partly because of high ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) prices. Kingisher was a fab(ulous) airline that faced the highest ever crude prices of $140/barrel. Losses mounted and that’s where banks money went.
“I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it,” Mallya tweeted.
Kingisher began defaulting on loans beginning 2009-10.
Hitting out at the political parties and media for accusing him of running away with the money, the head of the now defunct Kingisher Airlines said that all of the accusation was false.
“Politicians and media are constantly talking loudly about my being a defaulter who has run away with PSU (public sector undertaking) banks’ money.
“All this is false. Why don’t I get fair treatment and the same loud noise about my comprehensive settlement offer before the Karnataka High Court. Sad,” he said.
On Sept.12, during the hearing of his case in London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Mallya told reporters that he left India after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in 2016, which the minister called “factually false.”