Chopper scam: ''Middleman'' Christian Michel being extradited to India

Smita Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 4

UAE has extradited Christian Michel to India in a shot in the arm for the Modi government in the election season.

Michel, a suspected middleman in the Agusta Westland VVIP helicopter deal faces charges of money laundering and bribery in India.

In its charge sheet filed against Michel in June 2016, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that he received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from Agusta Westland as kickbacks. Diplomatic sources confirmed to The Tribune that Michel is being flown into Delhi tonight. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has chosen not to speak about reports of Michel’s extradition, with officials maintaining that it hasn’t received a formal communication from UAE. But top diplomatic sources have now confirmed on condition of anonymity that Michel would land in Delhi later tonight.  

Michel’s extradition coincides with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to UAE for the 12th session of the Joint Commission Meeting for Economic and Technical Cooperation with her counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Without making specific references, Secretary Economic Relations in MEA Tirumurti said to the press earlier that “consular and extradition matters” were discussed between the two sides.  

The Tribune had reported earlier that around August 26-27, UAE authorities had asked a Dubai court “if extradition of a foreign national (Michel is a British) to a third country was possible”. The court gave its reply to UAE authorities in early September. 

Michel is one of the three middlemen that ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation are investigating—the others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Both the agencies have had an Interpol red notice issued against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant. 

Asked by The Tribune about the extradition, UAE Ambassador to India Dr. Ahmed Albanna replied last week: “There is a legal system, there are agreements signed between UAE and India. There is a legal system, we believe in our judicial system. We trust our judicial system. We leave it up to them to decide what to do or what not to do”.