Agusta middleman Christian Michel gets SC bail, to stay in jail
The Supreme Court today granted bail to British national Christian Michel James, who has been in jail since 2018 following his arrest for his alleged role in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland case.
James, however, cannot walk out of jail as he faces a related money laundering case and his bail plea is pending in the Delhi High Court.
“The way you (the CBI) are going on right now, you will not be able to conclude the trial in 25 years,” a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta said, noting that James had been in custody for the past six years and the investigation was still underway. James, who was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and arrested, would be released on bail, subject to the terms and conditions decided by the trial court, the top court said.
The alleged Rs 3,600-crore scam related to the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters by the Indian Government from AgustaWestland, an Italian company, in 2005. The helicopters were meant for transporting high-ranking officials. In 2013, allegations surfaced that middlemen, including James, paid bribes to Indian politicians, defence officials and military officers to secure the contract. He is accused of having entered into several contracts with AgustaWestland to legitimise the illicit commission/kickbacks to the tune of 42.27 million Euros.
It was alleged that an amount of $33 million was transferred to the UK and the UAE. The CBI launched an investigation, leading to arrests and charges against several prominent figures, including former Indian Air Force Chief SP Tyagi.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had on February 7, 2023, rejected the bail to James, who is being probed by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. He had challenged a Delhi High Court order denying him bail.
