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Agusta Westland deal: Ahmad Patel, Sonia Gandhi, journalists mentioned in ED chargesheet

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Agusta Westland deal: Ahmad Patel, Sonia Gandhi, journalists mentioned in ED chargesheet

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The supplementary chargesheet filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal set off a political storm with names of political leaders and journalists, among them Congress leader and Sonia Gandhi’s close aide Ahmed Patel, figuring in the document – although not as accused.

Reports said Christian Michel, the alleged middleman arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, is understood to have identified the initials ‘AP’ as Ahmed Patel in the fourth chargesheet in the case filed before a court in New Delhi yesterday (Thursday, April 4).

The ED has mentioned names of several political leaders and three Indian journalists in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal supplementary chargesheet, said reports citing sources. These leaders and journalists are, however, not named as accused in the chargesheet, reports said.

The agency, in its supplementary chargesheet filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said “a part of kickback was paid to defence officials, bureaucrats, mediapersons and important political persons of the ruling party’ when the deal was being struck.

The chargesheet said according to the “budget sheet, 30 million euros were paid to Air Force officers, bureaucrats and politicians” to swing the deal in the favour of AgustaWestland for purchasing the choppers to ferry VVIPs across the country.

The payments were routed through a “complex structure” and withdrawn in cash through “hawala”, according to the chargesheet. The deal has been under the scrutiny of the ED and the CBI, with former IAF chief SP Tyagi being an accused in the case. The agencies are probing the political connections and money laundering aspects of the VVIP chopper contract and Michel was recently extradited to India from Dubai, providing an important break for investigators. He is lodged in Tihar jail as an accused in the case.

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“Christian Michel James has further disclosed various abbreviations used in the budget sheet, which contains the details of the payments made to Air Force officials, bureaucrats and political persons. The recipients of the kickback include several categories of persons namely Air Force officials, bureaucrats including defence ministry officials and top political leaders of the then ruling party. As per Christian Michel James, ‘AP’ means Ahmed Patel and ‘Fam’ means Family,” the ED said.

While the identity of the said Ahmed Patel is not clear, it is understood that it refers to the senior Congress leader. The veteran leader has not been named in the PMLA FIR of the case.

In the same chargesheet, Rajiv Saxena, another accused arrested in the case, has been quoted by the ED as saying that ‘AP’ was a reference to Ahmed Patel. Patel in the past has denied any wrongdoing in the case.

The ED chargesheet listed a series of “dispatches” between February 2008 and October 2009 by alleged middleman Christian Michel James, including one that mentioned “Mrs Gandhi was the driving force behind the deal. The contents of these dispatches have further proved that political elite was constantly helping AgustaWestland by intervention through PMO and Defence Minister… Lobbying was done to put pressure on Finance Minister and his senior advisors,” reported The Indian Express (IE).

Another “dispatch”, the chargesheet stated, mentioned “A) Meeting at the beginning of the week with regards to the Italian Lady’s son… The gentleman confirmed that the son will be next Prime Minister and his power in the party is growing day by day. Hence, the Finance Minister’s extreme anxiety at the son’s phenomenal rise.”

One “dispatch” referred to a “procurement paper” being sent to “all five cabinet members — home ministry, finance ministry, foreign ministry, defence ministry, P.M. and the party leader” and that “none of them have had any problems but for Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee”, IE report said. It also mentioned a conversation with “his secretary” and that the “party leader will speak to him and we expect, to calm him down”.

The ED said the kickback paid by the Anglo-Italian firm in the case was “at least about 12 per cent of the contract amount” and around 70 million euros were paid through the two middlemen involved in the case – Michel and Guido Haschke.

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It added that it was an “undisputed fact” that the two middlemen had received kickbacks worth 70 million euros. The agency said this fact could be corroborated with the receipt of kickbacks in the bank accounts of companies “controlled and beneficially owned” by Michel and Haschke.

It said the company enlisted the two as agents for the VVIP choppers deal in India as it wanted to promote its product and ensure that it became a frontrunner to bag the deal.

As per the chargesheet, British national and one of the middlemen of the scrapped deal, Christian Michel, had used important personalities in the field of media in order to influence the public opinion.

The chargesheet referred to a payment of Euro 205,860 to Ashwin Santhanam, son of journalist Raju Santhanam, and quoted Michel saying: “The payment/loan to Ashwin was to help the son of a friend. It is wrong to say this had anything to do with VIP.”

It mentioned that “as per Casana sheet, a payment of Euro 205860.40 was made to Ashwin Santhanam, son of Raju Santhanam in addition to booking an air ticket for him and his family for a total amount of Rs 26.50 lakh.”

Michel has accepted that he had made such payments and admitted to hiring services of Guy Douglas to influence the media and this fact is further corroborated by act of using influence on journalists “Manu Pubby and Shekhar Gupta to tone down the article in Indian Express”, said sources.

“Michel also deposed that Douglas was in touch with several journalists.”

The central probe agency, in its 3,000-page supplementary chargesheet with 52 main pages, also named David Syms, Michel’s alleged business partner, and two firms owned by them – Global Trade and Commerce Ltd and Global Services FZE – as accused.

In its first chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, the ED had alleged that he and others had received 30 million euros (about Rs. 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar said he would decide on whether to take cognisance of the ED’s supplementary chargesheet and summon the accused on April 6.

The ED’s revelations, coming in the midst of the election campaign, are likely to become political fodder.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in his campaign speeches referred to persons in Tihar jail who can spill the beans on Congress while the opposition party has said the cases are a witch hunt and warned officials that they might face action for being over-zealous.

Congress reaction:

Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said: “A single uncertified page leaked by ED of a purported chargesheet is a cheap election stunt to divert attention from imminent defeat of the Modi government.

The Congress rejected the references to its leaders as a “cheap election stunt”. Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said: “A single uncertified page leaked by ED of a purported chargesheet is a cheap election stunt to divert attention from imminent defeat of the Modi government. ED has become ‘Election Dhakosla’ of a government manufacturing a lie a day.”

“All these rehashed insinuations and lies were bundled out earlier too through a set of pliable media. Ultimately, they failed in an international court and were rejected as trash. Come election season and a panic-stricken Modi government is using the same set of lies to reset a narrative that they have already lost. We reject this rubbish being served as a diversionary political agenda by the Modi government, who has already lost the plot of 2019 elections,” Surjewala said.

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Rahul Gandhi warns ED, CBI of strong action whenever government changes

The Congress leader’s statement follows after the Income Tax department’s fresh notices asking the party to pay Rs 1,823.08 crore.

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Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused central agencies of working at the behest of the BJP-led government at the Centre and warned them that strict action will be taken against these institutions when the government changes.

The senior Congress leader asserted that if the institutions had done their jobs properly there would have been no problem. He added that these agencies should think that some day the BJP government will change and after that there will be action. He further said that it is his guarantee that the action will be so strong that no institution will dare to do such things again.

Taking to social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi wrote that when the government changes, action will definitely be taken against those who destroyed the democracy. Mentioning that it is his guarantee, Rahul Gandhi said that such actions will be taken that no one will dare to do all this again.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statement follows after the income tax department’s fresh notices asking the party to pay Rs 1,823.08 crore. The party has accused the ruling BJP of indulging in tax terrorism to financially cripple the opposition party ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

While addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters along with Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, party treasurer Ajay Maken alleged that the BJP is in serious violation of income-tax laws. He said the I-T department should raise a demand of Rs 4,617.58 crore from the saffron party for such violations.

Ajay Maken said that the income-tax returns filed by Congress for eight years have been reopened on baseless and manufactured grounds to levy illegal I-T demand orders totalling thousands of crores of rupees. He stated that the timing of the I-T department’s action in February and March, days before and even days after the Lok Sabha election were announced on March 16, speaks for itself about the mala-fide nature of these actions.

Furthermore, the opposition party will hold nationwide protests over the weekend against fresh income tax demand of over Rs 1,800 crore, which it has described as an egregious attack on democracy and imposition of tax terrorism amid the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

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Jammu and Kashmir: 10 killed as taxi rolls into gorge at Ramban, PM Modi announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh

Ramban deputy magistrate said that it was pitch dark and raining heavily when the accident occurred near Battery Chashma around 1.15am.

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In an unfortunate incident, ten passengers were killed when a taxi veered off the road amid heavy rain and fell into a gorge in Ramban district on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway early on Friday.

Baseer-ul-haq, Ramban deputy magistrate said that it was pitch dark and raining heavily when the accident occurred near Battery Chashma around 1.15am. He added that while the vehicle, believed to be a Chevrolet Tavera, has not been traced yet, 10 bodies have been recovered from the steep slope from where it went down 500 metres.

Police along with quick reaction teams, the local tehsildar, assistant commissioner, revenue, and other officials were at the spot supervising rescue work. Reports said that two identity cards were recovered from two bodies. 

The bodies were identified as taxi driver Balwan Singh, 47, of Amb Gharota in Jammu district, and Vipin Mukhiya, of Bhairagang in West Champaran district of Bihar. The identified bodies were taken to Ramban district hospital. Police asserted the taxi was on its way to Kashmir from Jammu.

Expressing grief over the accident in Ramban, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF, which would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Furthermore, the injured would be given Rs 50,000.  PM Narendra Modi also extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for a quick recovery of the injured. 

Taking to social media platform X, President Droupadi Murmu said that the news of many people getting killed after a vehicle fell into a ditch in Ramban area on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is very sad. She also offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir police shared on social media platform that a passenger taxi rolled down a deep gorge on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Battery Chashma in Ramban area. It added that Police, SDRF and civil QRT Ramban reached on spot, rescue operation is going on.

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Hardeep Singh Puri says Sunita Kejriwal is preparing to hold Delhi CM post like Rabri Devi

The Union Minister was speaking to the media during the inauguration of Delhi BJP’s election office along with leaders including Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva and Bansuri Swaraj.

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Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday compared Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, hinting that she may be gearing up to take on her husband’s post. The Union Minister was speaking to the media during the inauguration of Delhi BJP’s election office.

The BJP leader further took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister for forming an alliance with the most corrupt party against whom they had started an anti-corruption movement with social activist Anna Hazare. The minister made the statement in response to a question regarding Sunita Kejriwal, who earlier today launched a whatsapp campaign advocating for support for her husband, who is in ED custody in connection with the Excise policy case.

In a video Sunita Kejriwal said her husband has challenged the most corrupt and dictatorial forces in the country and asked people to support her husband through their prayers and blessings. She issued 2 WhatsApp numbers 8297324624 and 9700297002 through which people can send their blessings, prayers or any other messages to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and she will communicate those to him.

She said yesterday Kejriwal had presented his side in the court, and the entire country heard it. She requested the people to listen to it if they had not listened till now. She added whatever Kejriwal had said in front of the court required a lot of courage. She said her husband is a true patriot. She requested the people to participate in the Kejriwal ko Aashirwad campaign.

BJP leader Manoj Tiwari also took a dig at Aam Aami Party asking why only Kejriwal’s wife is coming out in his support, and not the people of Delhi. He said the Honorable Justice of High Court said they cannot stop Arvind Kejriwals’ arrest that they are surprised why he hasn’t been arrested yet?

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