On Wednesday the CBI has questioned the former IAF Chief S P Tyagi and has examined lawyer Gautam Khaitan for the first time after an Italian court held that bribes were paid to clinch the Rs 3600 crores VVIP Helicopter deal and the CBI sources have said both have arrived at the agency headquarters on Wednesday morning to appear before the investigation team.
Khaitan who is an advocate and a former Board member of company Aeromatrix which was allegedly used to route bribe amount is named in the CBI FIR as one of the accused and Khaitan is appearing for the first time after Milan Court of Appeals order in Italy which has claimed bribes were paid to get the lucrative deal.
The CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen and the allegation was against the former Air Chief was that he has reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal.
Tyagi has denied allegations against him and has told that the change of specifications, which has brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved.
