The CBI, probing the `3,600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter deal, is now preparing to approach Interpol headquarters for issuing of red corner notices (RCN) against three foreign nationals Christian Michel, Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. All three, who are untraceable, have been named as accused by the CBI in its FIR.
According to sources, the CBI, the nodal agency for the Interpol in India, is expected to send the request in this regard to the Interpol headquarters in a day or two. The agency is in the final stage of processing the request, sources added.
The CBI on March 13, booked former Air Force Chief S.P. Tyagi and 12 others under charges of bribery, cheating and corruption in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.
The former Air Chief, his cousins Sanjeev, alias Julie, Rajeev, alias Docsa, and Sandeep, European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel and Guido Haschke are among 13 individuals named in the FIR as accused.
Besides, the agency also named brother of former Union minister Santosh Bagrodia, Satish Bagrodia, and Pratap Aggarwal, chairman and managing director of IDS Infotech respectively in the FIR.
The agency in its FIR has alleged that out of the total 51 million euro kickbacks paid by AgustaWestland, British middleman Christian Michel was paid about 30 million euros.
“The agency, which is planning to send letters rogatory (LRs) to UK, Italy, Tunisia and Mauritius to get details about certain overseas companies, has also decided to take assistance of the Interpol in tracing suspected middlemen Michel, Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by issuing RCN against them,” sources said.
Probe by the agency revealed that middleman Haschke through his Tunisia-based company Gordian Services Sarl entered into several consultancy contracts with AgustaWestland from 2004-05 onwards and almost on back-to-back basis he also made consultancy contracts with Tyagi’s cousins, sources said.