AgustaWestland case: SC grants bail to alleged middleman Christian Michel

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to British arms consultant Christian James Michel, who has been accused of involvement in the alleged AgustaWestland helicopter scam, Live Law reported.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that Michel has been in custody for the past six years, and the investigation is still underway.

Michel, however, will not be released from jail immediately, as he is also facing a money-laundering case, and his bail petition is pending before the Delhi High Court, according to PTI.

The case pertains to a Rs 3,565-crore helicopter deal that the former Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government had signed with British-Italian firm AgustaWestland. The deal was put on hold after Italy arrested the head of Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland’s parent company, on charges of paying bribes to win the contract.

Michel is one of three suspected middlemen who Indian investigative agencies believe brokered the agreement. He was arrested on December 22, 2018 after he was extradited from the United Arab Emirates.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is looking into the corruption allegations in the AgustaWestland case, while the Enforcement Directorate is looking into alleged money laundering linked to it. The CBI alleges that the deal caused a loss of 398.21 million euros, or Rs 2,666, to the exchequer.

On September 25, the Delhi High Court…

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