He may escape: ED opposes AgustaWestland accused’s bail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has opposed the bail plea of British national Christian Michel in a money laundering case linked to the AgustaWestland scam, stating that he posed a serious risk of escaping from the clutches of law enforcement agencies.

“Being a British citizen, he has the means to abscond. There is a real possibility of him escaping,” ED’s special counsel Zoheb Hossain contended before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma.

Countering this claim, Michel’s lawyer, advocate Aljo Joseph, insisted that his client lacked the means to leave the country since his passport had expired. “He doesn’t even have a valid passport so the argument of flight risk doesn’t stand,” Joseph asserted.

Joseph also raised concerns over Michel’s prolonged incarceration, emphasising that he had already spent over six years in custody, including his detention in Dubai before extradition. “Once the maximum sentence is completed as an undertrial, my client should be released. Whether he stays in India or leaves should not be a concern at that stage,” Joseph reasoned.

The advocate further pointed out that the trial court in the related CBI case is yet to stipulate the conditions for Michel’s release. “If bail is granted, he would still need the trial court’s permission to leave. He would then have to apply for a passport and visa, which is a lengthy process,” he added.

Justice Sharma acknowledged that the trial court is yet to impose bail conditions in the predicate offense and remarked, “I want to see what conditions they set before deciding on this matter.” The court then scheduled the next hearing for February 28, directing the ED’s counsel to present arguments in person.