Today, On 4th March, The Delhi High Court is set to deliver its verdict on the bail plea of Christian Michel in the Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering case linked to the AgustaWestland scam. Michel, the alleged middleman in the VVIP chopper deal, was extradited from the UAE in 2018. The ED opposes his bail, citing flight risk and the severity of charges under anti-money laundering laws.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court is set to deliver its verdict on Tuesday regarding the bail plea of alleged middleman Christian Michel James in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money laundering case.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, who reserved the decision on February 28 after hearing arguments from both sides, will announce the judgment at 4 PM. Michel was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the CBI case on February 18.
Investigative agencies have reported irregularities in the procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters from the Italian company AgustaWestland. The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) counsel opposed Michel’s bail plea, arguing that the British national did not satisfy the “twin tests” required for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and posed a flight risk.
In contrast, Michel’s lawyer argued for bail on the basis that he had already been in custody for a considerable period. He noted that while the anti-money laundering law carries a maximum penalty of seven years, Michel has spent over six years in jail.
Michel was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and subsequently arrested by the CBI and the ED. He is one of three alleged middlemen under investigation, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
According to the CBI’s chargesheet, the deal signed on February 8, 2010, resulted in an estimated loss of 398.21 million (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer for the procurement of VVIP helicopters worth 556.262 million.
The CBI alleges that bribes estimated at 33 million dollars were transferred through bank accounts in the UK and UAE.
The AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal happened during the Congress-led UPA government and became a major corruption case. It is alleged that money was given to middlemen and Indian officials in 2006-07 to secure a deal for helicopters for top politicians.
After these corruption claims, the Indian government ordered a CBI probe on February 12, 2013. Later, in 2014, the ED also filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Case Title: Christian James Michel vs ED