Enforcement Directorate widens AgustaWestland copter deal probe

In an attempt to crack the suspect name codes and the alleged kickbacks paid in the VVIP choppers deal, ED has sought information from the Defence Ministry, Income Tax department and FIU to sharedetails about officials and other individuals figuring in the case.

Officials said the agency has sought property details on ten serving and retired officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Air Force who had handled the procurement process of the AgustaWestland choppers at some point of their service.

It has also sought details from the IT department and the Financial Intelligence Unit to provide details of personal finances, transactions and investments made by some people suspected to have some connection to the case.

They said the references have been made in the light of a hand written note by the alleged middlemen in the case, a document also brought on record by a Milan court which had sentenced Italian defence and aerospace major Finme-ccanica's former chief Giuseppe Orsi and the former CEO of the firm Bruno Spagnolini on corruption charges in the sale of a dozen AgustaWestland helicopters to India for VVIP purposes.

ED investigators have made some “analysis” of the probable identity of these code names and hence want to investigate the flow of funds and the “proceeds of crime” and possible kickbacks made in the procurement of these choppers.

Ex-IAF chief Tyagi questioned by ED

Former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi was on Thursday questioned by the ED in connection with the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal after being quizzed for days by the CBI in the case.

Tyagi arrived at the zonal office of the agency here just before 11 am and agency sources said he will be questioned and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ex-IAF chief was questioned in the same case by CBI for the last three days.