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Chopper scam: Manohar Parrikar to make his statement in Parliament

by IBNS 04 May 2016, 07:13 am

New Delhi, May 4 (IBNS): Amid a political battle, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is likely to make a statement on the AugustaWestland VVIP chopper scam in the Parliament on Wednesday.

The scam has already rocked the Parliament this week with the ruling BJP targeting the Congress and its president Sonia Gandhi over the issue.

The Centre on Saturday clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not  struck a deal with Italy on the multi-million dollar AgustaWestland chopper deal.

"Those who cannot see Prime Minister succeed even hint at him cutting a deal. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Prime Minister Modi did not cut any deal of any sort. His only goal and priority is the development of comprehensive national power, and empowerment of our masses," read a government statement.

An Italian court investigated the contract because Augusta's parent company is Finmeccanica, an Italian defence manufacturer, and decided that vast amounts of bribes were routed to India by company executives to land the deal for 12 VVIP helicopters for about Rs. 3,600 crore.

 The deal was cancelled by India in 2014 after the Italians began investigating it, a point the Congress is flashing in its defence along with the fact that AgustaWestland has not been banned by the new government from bidding for new defence deals.

The Congress  made its own demand for a discussion on AugustaWestland demanding to know why the defence manufacturer accused of corruption was taken off a blacklist by the Narendra Modi government.

Retired Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, who is named as the prime beneficiary in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, on Monday appeared in front of the CBI for  regarding kickbacks he allegedly received in the Rs. 3600 crore deal, reports said.

Both  Tyagi and former Deputy Chief of Indian Air Force J.S. Gujral, who is also named in the case, have already been questioned  in 2013. 

The second round of interrogation  was necessitated after the April 7 order of an Italian court that referred their names.

The CBI has registered a case against  Tyagi along with 13 others in connection with the case.