SIT needs CBI aid on Agusta deal

The Special Investigation Team on black money has asked the CBI to share details of information sought by it from various foreign shores in the ongoing probe into AgustaWestland choppers purchase with the Enforcement Directorate ( ED). Sources said the ED wants to send about six judicial requests to various countries as part of its probe into the money trail in this case while the CBI has already got issued five such requests through a Delhi court.

Sources said “In order to avoid duplicity of task and asking same questions by the two agencies, the ED has sought SIT’s help in obtaining the judicial requests already sent by CBI to various countries in this case. The SIT, after reviewing the case, agreed to write to CBI in this regard”.

“Whatever has not been asked by CBI and is essential from the point of view of money trail would then be framed as questions of the judicial requests or ‘ Letters Rogatory ( LRs) of the ED which will then approach a competent court for formal issuance,” they said.

A special CBI court recently issued agency’s LRs to the competent authorities of United Kingdom ( UK), Switzerland, Singapore, United Arab Emirates( UAE) and British Virgin Island.

CBI sources, however, said they have not received any communication so far in this regard.

The ED is preparing to send judicial requests to about six countries seeking information on bank accounts and transactions to detect the trail of kickbacks.