UPA must answer who received kickbacks in Agusta deal: Parrikar

Dehradun, April 30

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Saturday the previous UPA dispensation will have to answer who received the alleged kickbacks in the AgustaWestland chopper deal.

"The moot question is who took the money in Agusta deal. Those who were at the helm at the time when the deal was struck owe an explanation. The Italian court has clearly said that an amount of Rs 125 crore was paid. It has even disclosed some names. The government of that day needs to answer," he told reporters on the sidelines of foundation- laying ceremony.

"Investigations will make it clear how much in kickbacks was paid and to whom but the manner in which the deal was inked and efforts were made to favour a particular company will have to be explained by those in power at the time," the Union Minister said.

However, he said he would not speak much on the issue as the matter is to be sorted out out in Parliament.                

Parrikar was talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of a memorial of martyrs (Shaheed Smarak) at Cheedbagh in the city

'Take action if there is evidence'

Hitting back at BJP, former defence minister AK Antony said the Narendra Modi government should take "strong" action against "bribe givers and takers" if it had evidence.

Asserting that no names were revealed in the Italian court which convicted former employees of AgustaWestland for giving bribes in the deal, he said, "At every stage in the Italian court, our lawyer represented the case.

"They cross examined all witnesses. At no stage, names were revealed. My question is now -CBI is with present government, ED (Enforcement Directorate) is with present government. Why delay, if there is evidence?" he told reporters here.

When asked about BJP launching an all-out attack against Congress on the issue, he said: "Take strong action against bribe givers and bribe takers".

Antony, who is in Kerala to launch the party's election campaign for the May 16 Assembly poll, said: "The Italian court has convicted the bribe giver. Please take action against the bribe taker. CBI, ED are all with them".      

CBI questioned former Deputy Chief of IAF

The Central Bureau of Investigation questioned former Deputy Chief of Indian Air Force JS Gujral on Saturday in connection with alleged irregularities in the deal.

Air Marshal (Retd) Gujral reported to investigators at the CBI Headquarters in the morning. Gujral was one of the many senior officials who were part of the meeting in 2005 when a decision to alter the required specifications was taken.

The agency has called former Air Chief SP Tyagi on Monday.

Both have been questioned at length in 2013 but a new round of questioning was necessitated after the April 7 order of an Italian court.

The deal for the choppers went off track in 2013 when Italy arrested the head of Finmeccanica, which owns AgustaWestland, for paying bribes to secure the deal.

An Italian court, which convicted AgustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi, had reportedly described how the firm paid bribes to top Congress leaders to bag the Rs.3,600 crore deal.

CBI has so far maintained that Gujral was questioned as a witness but has remained tight-lipped if he will still retain the same status.

The agency has not pressed any charges against him.

The agency had registered a case against former IAF Chief Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen in the case.

Tyagi has denied the allegations.

The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from altitude ceiling requirement from 6,000 m to 4,500 m (15,000ft) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids.

However, this decision was taken allegedly in consultation with the officials of SPG and the Prime Minister's Office including then NSA MK Narayanan.

The CBI has claimed that reduction of the service ceiling — maximum height at which a helicopter can perform normally — allowed the UK-based firm to be eligible for bidding. — PTI