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CBI starts fresh grilling of Tyagi brothers

New Delhi, February 16
The CBI has started fresh questioning of the cousins of former IAF Chief SP Tyagi in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal in light of claims by alleged middleman Guido Haschke that he had paid money to them. Sources said that the agency has recently questioned Sanjeev, alias Julie, Rajeev, alias Docsa, and Sandeep in connection with the claims made by Haschke. “What I told the CBI is that we have absolutely nothing to do with the deal and all supporting documents have been given to the CBI,” Sanjeev Tyagi told PTI when asked to comment on his examination.

“We are cooperating with the CBI and went to them every time we were called,” he said. “The CAG report and the Ministry of Defence release on the VVIP helicopter deal last year clearly refutes the charges levelled against us by CBI,” he added. Sources said that Haschke, who was questioned first by Defence Ministry officials and then by the CBI, had told the probe agency that money was paid to the Tyagi brothers for the engineering works and meeting other administrative requirements in India.

Arrested in Switzerland in September last year and later extradited to Italy to face trial, Haschke has denied that he had ever met the former IAF Chief or handed over any money to him to clear the VVIP helicopter deal in favour of AgustaWestland.

A case was registered by the CBI against former IAF Chief Tyagi and 12 others, including his cousins, for alleged cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal in which Rs 360 crore is alleged to have been paid as kickbacks.

The former IAF Chief has refuted the allegations against him.

The questioning of the Tyagi brothers became necessary after Haschke alleged that he had paid money to them for engineering works at the IDS Chandigarh, footing rent and meeting administrative expenses in India.

They were questioned last year in the case and had denied any wrongdoing. The CBI has alleged in its FIR that Haschke, through his Tunisia-based company, Gordian Services Sarl, entered into several consultancy contracts with AgustaWestland from 2004-05 onwards and, “almost on a back-to-back basis he also made consultancy contracts with Tyagi brothers”.

Under the cover of these contracts, Haschke is alleged to have sent Euro 1.26 lakh (about Rs 1.06 crore) and Euro 2 lakh (about Rs.1.68 crore) to the Tyagi brothers.

“Besides these two remittances, the Tyagi brothers also received some unquantified sum of money from the middlemen (Haschke and another, Carlo Gerosa). — PTI

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