Christian Michel James told a Delhi court he “can’t accept bail”, calling it unsafe in the AgustaWestland case. On March 4, the Delhi High Court granted him bail in the ED’s chopper scam case. The court also imposed necessary conditions for his release. However, Michel expressed concerns about his security.
Delhi: Christian Michel James, an alleged intermediary in the AgustaWestland case, expressed on Friday his willingness to “serve out his sentence” and exit India instead of being released on bail due to “security concerns.”
Addressing special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal, James stated,
“Delhi is just a larger prison. My family cannot come to me… My security is at risk. I would rather complete my sentence and leave the country.”
This plea came after the special court set the necessary bail conditions following favorable rulings in both the CBI and ED cases against him.
The Delhi High Court granted him bail in the ED case on March 4, imposing required bail conditions, while the Supreme Court previously provided relief in the CBI case on February 18, also contingent on the trial court’s stipulations.
In response to James’s remarks, the judge remarked,
“How are you now? God has been kind to you in the last two months. You have got bail in both cases.”
Michel stated,
“I cannot accept the bail. It’s unsafe. Every time I step out of Tihar (prison), something happens,”
Regarding the requirement for a surety bond, he added,
“How can a person who has been in jail for six years produce local sureties?”
After emphasizing his refusal to be released on bail due to security concerns, the judge inquired,
“Can’t you find a safehouse in Delhi?”
Michel then offered to “narrate in private the incident” he experienced during his admission to AIIMS.
He said,
“The problem I have is with the police. I would rather talk to you in private,”
In response, the judge instructed the media and police personnel to step outside for a moment.
At approximately 4:30 PM, the court issued its order, outlining the bail conditions. These stipulations require James to report to the investigating officers in person every 15 days, provide his cellphone number, email, and residential address to the probe agencies, refrain from leaving the country without court permission, and avoid tampering with evidence or attempting to influence witnesses.
The court’s order explicitly stated,
“The accused shall not interact with respect to the present case with the media nor shall communicate regarding this case at any forum during the trial of this case.”
Additionally, James was instructed to furnish a personal bond and a surety of Rs.10 lakh in both cases and to surrender his passport.
James was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and subsequently arrested by the CBI and ED. He is one of three alleged middlemen under investigation, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
The CBI’s chargesheet estimated a loss of 398.21 million (approximately Rs.2,666 crore) to the exchequer stemming from the deal signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP helicopters worth 556.262 million.
The ED’s chargesheet filed against James in June 2016 alleged that he received 30 million (about Rs.225 crore) from AgustaWestland.
In a related money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet against James, filed in June 2016, alleged that he received 30 million euros (around Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. On February 7, 2023, the Supreme Court denied James bail, rejecting his argument that he had served half of the maximum sentence for the charges against him.
The High Court earlier had also dismissed his bail applications in both the CBI and ED cases in March 2022.
Case Title: Christian James Michel vs Central Bureau of Investigation