Today, On 20th January, The Supreme Court deferred the bail hearing of Christian Michel James in the AgustaWestland case to February 18. The CBI requested more time, which was granted. James, extradited from Dubai in 2018, is challenging the Delhi High Court’s bail rejection from September.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court postponed the bail hearing for alleged middleman Christian Michel James, who is implicated in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland corruption case, to February 18.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta adjourned the hearing after the CBI’s counsel requested additional time.
The Court provided a three-week extension and scheduled the hearing for February 18.
Also Read: [AgustaWestland Group Scam Case] HC Seeks CBI, ED Response
On December 6, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the CBI, directing it to submit its response within four weeks. The controversy centers around the acquisition of 12 VVIP helicopters from the helicopter design and manufacturing firm AgustaWestland.
James has appealed to the Supreme Court to contest the Delhi High Court’s bail rejection order issued on September 25. A British national, he was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and subsequently arrested. The High Court had turned down his bail plea, noting that there had been no significant changes in circumstances since his previous applications were denied.
James is one of three alleged middlemen under investigation, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
The CBI’s chargesheet claims that the deal, signed on February 8, 2010, resulted in an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer, for a contract valued at 556.262 million euros.
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 had also dismissed his bail applications in both the CBI and ED cases in March 2022.
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