Italy says won’t extradite key accused Carlo

In what could be described as a setback to the CBI, Italy on Friday refused to extradite Carlo Gerosa, an alleged middlemen wanted in the multi- crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal case, to India.

Confirming the development, sources in the CBI said that the agency would “take up” the matter with Italian authorities again through the ministry of external affairs since Gerosa needs to be brought to India. Italian authorities have made it clear that India does not have any mutual legal assistance treaty with Italy under which Gerosa can be sent, they added. After this development, the CBI has approached the external affairs ministry, citing provisions under which he could be extradited in the absence of legal assistance treaty between the two countries. Carlo Valentino Ferdinando Gerosa ( 71), an Italian

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and Swiss national, was believed to be a key player in the bribery scandal as the process of manipulating the specifications for VVIP helicopter deal allegedly started after a meeting between him and cousins of former IAF Chief S. P. Tyagi, they said.