Antony listed as witness in Italy trial, but won’t testify

Agusta copter deal: Judge calls Ratan Tata too

Busto Arsizio ( Italy), July 29: Indian defence minister A. K. Antony, industrialist Ratan Tata and a former British defence minister were listed as witnesses in a trial of former bosses of Italy’s Finmeccanica over corruption in a helicopter deal with India.

The trial has also raised the prospect of Finmeccanica being blacklisted in India.

On Monday, a judge in Busto Arsizio cleared over 80 people as possible witnesses, including Mr Antony, Mr Tata and former British defence secretary Geoff Hoon.

The Indian government, taken by surprise, made it clear Mr Antony will not give evidence or appear in any court outside India.

The next hearing is on September 17. A defence ministry team led by joint secretary Arun Kumar Bal is in Italy to attend it.

Prosecutors have accused former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi of paying bribes to intermediaries to secure the $ 742.81 million deal in 2010 when he was head of AgustaWestland, the Finmeccanica unit that sold the helicopters.

Bruno Spagnolini, former CEO of AgustaWestland, is being tried alongside Mr Orsi on the same charges. Both deny any wrongdoing.

Defence lawyers requested Mr Hoon and Mr Ratan Tata to give evidence on the Indian defence industry, while Mr Antony was called to testify on the tendering process.