AGUSTA Dubai-based firm director arrested

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested a woman director of two Dubai-based firms in connection with its probe into the multi-crore Agusta Westland helicopter deal case.

The Central probe agency identified the woman as Shivani Saxena, director of M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings.

Sources said Ms Saxena was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was later produced in a court which sent her to four days of judicial custody.

The woman is alleged to have received the “proceeds of crime” in this case, sources in the ED said.

The ED had registered a PMLA case in this regard in 2014 and had named several people including former Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief S.P. Tyagi in its money laundering FIR.

Six companies including Italy-based Finmeccanica, Agusta Westland, Mohali-based IDS Infotech, Chandigarh based Aeromatrix, IDS Tunisia and IDS Mauritius were also booked by the Indian

The Central probe agency identified the woman as Shivani Saxena, director of M/s UHY Saxena and M/s Matrix Holdings

agencies, including CBI.

Investigations by the ED into the controversial deal revealed that just two months after taking charge of the then Chief of Air Staff, S.P. Tyagi (Retd), the Air Headquarters on March 7, 2005 allegedly agreed to reduce the mandatory service ceiling of the VVIP helicopters from 6000 meters to 4500 meters, reversing its earlier consistent stand according to which change in service ceiling was “non-negotiable”, sources said.

The supply of 12 VVIP helicopters from Agusta Westland came under the scanner after the Italian authorities alleged that bribe was paid by the company to clinch the deal. The Italian prosecutor, who carried out the preliminary inquiry, alleged that the CEO of Finmeccanica, the parent company of UK-based Agusta Westland, had used the services of middlemen to bribe Indian officials.