The Buyline: Journalists have come under scanner after revelations

Politicians, officials and agents are not the only ones defending smeared reputations while battling charges of kickbacks in a VVIP helicopter deal.

Even journalists have come under the scanner following revelations that the firm AgustaWestland paid British businessman and alleged middleman Christian Michel Rs 50 crore to manage the Indian media.

The money was allegedly paid to handle bad press on the Rs 3,500-crore deal. BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi expressed concern in Parliament over the alleged misuse of media.

Little is known about how the money was spent and investigators have a job at hand to unearth the truth. Arms companies, in the hunt for defence contracts, are known to engage journalists and even organise foreign junkets.

Document

A document has surfaced showing AgustaWestland paying 6 million Euros to Christian Michel from January 2010 onwards for handling the media. The deal was finalised in 2009.

Keeping the heat on the issue, the government dismissed the offensive launched by the Congress to defend its leader Sonia Gandhi as "trivial technicalities" and claimed it was determined to "bring to justice the corrupt and the wrong-doers in this case".

Even as the issue was still to come up for discussion in Parliament, BJP president Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhi saying she should clarify who received bribes in the chopper deal.

Constitution

"You say you are not scared of anything. We in the BJP fear the Constitution, rule of law and societal norms," said Amit Shah taking a dig at the Congress chief for saying she was not afraid of anyone as she sought an inquiry into the allegations.

The government said that contrary to claims made by the Congress, all the procurements from AgustaWestland, its parent company Finmeccanica and other affiliates were put on hold when NDA came to power.

On the allegation that AgustaWestland was allowed to do business by entering a joint venture with Tata Sons, the government clarified that the proposal was approved in September 2011 and it has already been expired. The government also noted that the investigating agencies - the CBI and Enforcement Directore - are probing the deal and pursing extradition of Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke Ralph and Christian Michel James, the three alleged middlemen.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to reply in Parliament next week.

The government has countered allegations made by the Congress leaders that no action was taken against AgustaWestland as they sought speeding up of probe.

The government said that the delay in investigation is "largely because some of the key perpetrators of this misdeed are outside the country."

"It is the present government which through its order dated 03 July 2014, put on hold all procurement / acquisition cases in the pipeline of six companies figuring in the FIR registered by the CBI, namely: M/s AgustaWestland International Ltd, UK, M/s Finmeccanica, Italy and its group of companies, including subsidiaries and affiliates, M/s IDS, Tunisia, M/s Infotech Design System (IDS), Mauritius, M/s IDS Infotech Ltd., Mohali and M/s Aeromatrix Info Solution Pvt Ltd, Chandigarh," said officials.

"On the core issue of corruption, the two concerned agencies, namely CBI and Enforcement Directorate are vigorously pursuing all aspects of the investigation, including the arrests and/or extradition of three foreign nationals.

Red Corner Notices were issued in December 2015 and January 2016 through Interpol under Prevention of Money Laundering Act and Prevention of Corruption Act," the government clarified.

Also read:

AgustaWestland: Congress shields its last bastion

AgustaWestland scandal: Will CBI question Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh?