ED, CBI hunt for ‘real beneficiaries’
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation are trying to tighten the noose around “real beneficiaries” of the alleged 70-million euro bribe paid in AgustaWestland scam, officials familiar with the matter said.
Wednesday’s raids on the premises of realty firm MGF’s managiong director Shravan Gupta by ED were focused on the money trail, which passes through several companies over a period of time, the officials said.
The CBI is also set to soon file a charge sheet against five government officials and British middleman Christian Michel, for which it has already sought prosecution sanction from the government. Michel, a key accused in the case, was extradited to India from Dubai in December 2018.
Officials in both ED and CBI said there will be “major developments” in the case in next couple of months.
Shravan Gupta, who was the director of erstwhile Emaar MGF and was earlier questioned by ED in 2016, is under the scanner for appointment of another European middleman Guido Haschke as independent director in the company in 2009, an ED official familiar with the investigation said.
“We have got some new leads in the case after which it was decided to raid seven places on Wednesday linked to Gupta and few other people. We are further investigating the real beneficiaries – politicians and bureaucrats – who got benefitted through certain businessmen and private companies,” said an ED officer requesting anonymity.
Gupta, this officer said, is likely to be called for questioning soon.
According to a second officer from ED, which has already filed multiple charge sheets in the case, kickbacks were made in India by the Anglo-Italian firm, AgustaWestland, through two sets of middlemen – Christian Michel James and Guido Ralph Haschke -- to influence a ₹3,727 crore deal for 12 VVIP choppers. The kickbacks -- 12% of the deal, which amounts to roughly Euro 70 million, according to the exchange rate at the time -- was a quid pro quo to make the company eligible for the contract of AW-101 helicopters in 2010, the ED has contended.
Meanwhile, the CBI, in its charge sheet filed in September 2017, also claimed that AgustaWestland’s competitor for the contract, M/s Sikorsky, quoted the price of around $506 (₹2,228 crores at the time) for 12 VVIP/ non-VVIP helicopters, while
AgustaWestland have quoted Euro 592 million (₹3966 crore). This was still approved by the Union government in 2010 with final cost negotiated at ₹3,727 crore, the agency contended.
Gupta or his spokesperson could not be reached for comments by HT. An email sent to MGF remained unanswered.
Emaar India issued a statement on Wednesday saying Gupta has no role in the company. “Emaar and MGF had parted ways few years back and Mr Shravan Gupta has no role in Emaar India and is also no longer on the Board of the Company... As a responsible corporate, Emaar India will cooperate with any government agency.”
Earlier, in a separate case pertaining to foreign exchange violations, ED seized Gupta’s assets worth ₹10.28 crore in 2018 for allegedly holding undisclosed deposits in a Swiss bank account