JOIN USThe CBI Thursday questioned a former board member of an accused company for the second time in connection with the alleged kickbacks in the $750 million (Rs.3,600 crore) deal for 12 VVIP helicopters.
Advocate Gautam Khaitan, who was earlier associated with accused firm Aeromatrix India, was questioned for the second time by the probe agency at its Delhi headquarters for around five hours, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) source said.
The agency Tuesday questioned Aeromatrix CEO Praveen Bakshi, former union minister Santosh Bagrodia and Khaitan.
Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief S.P. Tyagi and his brothers Julie and Docsa were also questioned by the CBI Wednesday.
A reference to Khaitan was made in the Italian prosecutor's report filed in a court there. However, Khaitan refuted all the allegations.
A CBI and defence ministry team had gone to Italy to collect documents concerning alleged kickbacks to clinch the deal.
The investigative agency filed a preliminary inquiry against 11 people Feb 25.
Besides S.P. Tyagi, the inquiry names his cousins Sanjeev alias Julie Tyagi, Docsa Tyagi, Sandeep Tyagi, Khaitan and Bakshi.
Others named in the inquiry include Giuseppe Orsi, former CEO of Italian defence major Finmeccanica; Bruno Spagnolini, CEO of AgustaWestland, a Britain-based subsidiary of Finmeccanica; and alleged middlemen Guido Ralph Haschke, Karlo Valentino, Ferdinando Gerosa, and Christian Michel.
The firms named are Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland, IDS Infotech Ltd. (India) and Aeromatrix India.