Chopper scam: Def Min team in Italy to study evidence

A high-level team headed by defence ministry's director general (acquisition) today left for Italy to go through the crucial documents and evidence provided to India by the government there in the Rs 362 crore VVIP chopper scam.

The three-member team headed by Satish Agnihotri will be in Italy to go through the documents and evidence collected by the Italian prosecutors in the case against the officials of AgustaWestland, Finmeccanica and the alleged middlemen in the case, sources told PTI.

The team will go through the evidence to see if there is any violation of contractual obligations by the Anglo-Italian firm in the deal, they said.

India has been given access to the evidence in the case after it was made a party in the ongoing trials in Italy in the chopper scam.

India has told the court there that its decisions would not be binding and it would reserve the right to seek all possible legal remedies available to it in this country. The Italian court in Milan began its trial on June 19 in the Rs 362-crore scam into the procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland at a cost of Rs 3,600 crore in 2010.

Defence Minister A K Antony has already issued a show cause notice to the Anglo-Italian firm asking why its contract should not be cancelled in view of the charges leveled against it in Italy.

Former CEOs of Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland were arrested in February in connection with the case and are being tried by the Italian authorities there.