Interview Times In a significant development, on Wednesday the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a supplementary chargesheet against former CAG and ex-Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma and several retired officials of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The development comes after the CBI received a prosecution sanction against Shashi Kant Sharma, as per sources informed ANI.
Sharma belongs to the 1976 batch of IAS (Bihar Cadre) and landed in the Ministry of Defence in the middle of 2003 as Joint Secretary (Air). He is said to be the man who initiated the AgustaWestland VVIP purchase and he became DG (Acquisition) in the year 2007.
Earlier in September 2020, the CBI had sought prosecution sanction from the government to chargesheet Shashi Kant Sharma, who served as the joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence when the Rs 3,600 crore contract was discussed. Alongside him, the agency had also sought sanctions to prosecute former Air Vice Marshal Jasbir Singh Panesar, former deputy chief test pilot S A Kunte, Wing Commander (Retd) Thomas Mathew, and Group Captain (Retd) N Santosh. The court has posted the matter for further hearing on March 28.
AgustaWestland scam?
The Congress-led UPA government in 2010 signed the contract worth Rs 3,600 crore to procure 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters. It was alleged that bribes were paid to middlemen and even politicians in the procurement.
The scam was first unearthed in Italy when the CEO of AgustaWestland, Bruno Spagnolini was apprehended by Italian authorities on charges the company bribed middlemen to secure the deal with the Indian Air Force (IAF). In 2013, an investigation was initiatied into allegations of bribery and corruption involving several senior officials and the helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in September 2020, filed a chargesheet naming the 15 accused including Christian James Michel in the VVIP Chopper scam. Michel is said to be one of the critical middlemen facilitating the deal. It was also alleged that the then Chief of Indian Air Force SP Tyagi’s recommended reduction in the operational ceiling of the helicopters from 6000 meters to 4500 meters which brought AgustaWestland in the race. CBI had earlier alleged that firms of Michel received about 42.27 million euros for the purpose and the bribes were routed through his companies. He was extradited to India from UAE in 2018.
With ANI Inputs
By- Priya Bharti
