AgustaWestland’s internal audit which found end use of Rs 276 crore dubious in VVIP chopper scam

NEW DELHI: Giving a boost to CBI probe in Rs 3,727 crore VVIP chopper scam , the Central Bureau of Investigation has accessed a crucial documentary evidence - the internal audit report conducted by AgustaWestland's then vice president audit Giorgio Casana - of Christian Michel's two companies - M/s Global Trade and Commerce Ltd London and M/s Global Services FZE, Dubai, which confirm that payments of 34 million euros (approx. Rs 276 crore) were indeed "dubious".
Casana's report has been shared by Italian authorities in its letter rogatory (LR) reply along with hundreds of fax dispatches between Michel and AgustaWestland representatives, in which both sides discussed the VVIP chopper tender, payments, details of meetings etc.

CBI sources told TOI that Casana had travelled to Dubai to audit GTCL and GSF and he found major anomalies in 34 million euros out of total 42.27 paid by AgustaWestland to Michel. When Casana confronted Michel and his office manager David Syms with these "dubious" payments, they both gave "false explanations" on the end use of such huge amount. Michel has so far claimed he took money from AgustaWestland for "consultancy" but investigators say these were bribes and he provided no consultancy business to the company.
The audit report, CBI officials asserted, will play an important role in the next chargesheet - which will be comprehensive and will talk about the money trail.
Michel has already confirmed before CBI receiving payments from the Anglo-Italian firm.
According to sources, when asked about his link with former air force chief Air Marshal (retired) SP Tyagi and cousins - the British national is learnt to have admitted paying 11,000 US dollars per month to the "family" for few months.
Sources said that he has also named some former Indian Air Force and defence ministry officials with whom he regularly met. Few officials have already been confronted with Michel apart his "so called" business partners in India.
CBI has also accessed the fax dispatches between AgustaWestland and the middlemen which reveal that SP Tyagi was lobbying for AgustaWestland even after his retirement.
In one of the dispatches dated September 9, 2009, then commercial director of Agusta's parent company Finmeccanica - Paolo Pozzessere wrote a report titled "Note on the Mission in India", in which he stated that "the Tyagi family supports us in the VVIP programmes", while referring to SP Tyagi and his family as "high level lobby" and "opinion maker" (in India).
Referring to cousins of SP Tyagi - Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep Tyagi, Pozzessere wrote that 'the family owns' ex-Marshal of the Indian Air Force and in particular the 'VVIP' programme is confirmed (in favour of AgustaWestland) and the contract would be signed within the next three-four months. This dispatch is also part of CBI chargesheet and Italian court judgement.
Pozzessere had visited India on 18-19 May, 2009 and met S P Tyagi along with then India representative of AgustaWestland Paolo Girasole. CBI sources say they had recovered the visiting cards of Finmeccanica officials including that of company's then General Manager Giorgio Zappa, were recovered from SP Tyagi's house during raids on March 13, 2013.