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Updated April 5th, 2019 at 14:32 IST

Sensational revelations in ED chargesheet: Christian Michel says Former Defence Minister 'Pranab Mukherjee felt harassed into signing'. Read here

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed the 4th supplementary chargesheet in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal and in it are the most explosive details about the extent of corruption in the AgustaWestland case.

Reported by: Sagarika Mitra
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The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed the 4th supplementary chargesheet in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal and in it are the most explosive details about the extent of corruption in the AgustaWestland case. Republic media network team has scrutinised the chargesheet in detail and has come across facts that could be politically explosive for the UPA in this election season.

The chargesheet has been filed against 41 individuals including Gautam Khaitan, Carlo Gerosa, Guido Hashchke, The Tyagi Brothers and Agusta Middleman Christian Michel who was extradited to India on December 4, 2018. 

'Mrs Gandhi' mention:

As per the ED chargesheet, a copy of which is available with Republic TV – ED concludes that Christian Michel acknowledges knowing 'Mrs. Gandhi'. Michel further reveals that he was in touch with 'Mrs Gandhi' and knew her since 1986-87.

Who is 'AP'? 

Earlier, the investigating agencies had recovered hand-written diary notings detailing the alleged kickbacks paid for the 12 AW-101 AgustaWestland deal. These noting mentioned ‘FAM’, ‘AP’ among others – answers to which were unknown so far. However, as per ED conclusion, Christian Michel has revealed that 'AP’ stands for Ahmed Patel and 'FAM’ was the abbreviation for ‘Family'.  

Dispatch on Pranab Mukherjee:

In a dispatch dated 29th June, 2009, Christian Michel talks about sending the Agusta procurement paper to 5 cabinet members, home ministry, finance ministry, foreign ministry, defence ministry and P.M. It is interesting to note that in the dispatch, Michel says that 'none of them had a problem but Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee'.

The chargesheet further reads: 

A 'mutual friend has been sent to see the F.M. 'The F.M. then explained that he felt that he has been ignored in this decision-making process and is being harassed into signing'.

What follows is this shocking mention -

Who pacified Pranab Mukherjee?

'Party Leader will speak to him and we expect, to calm him down. He has not yet caused any delay. If the cabinet had met and the F.M. was not pacified we could suffer months of delay...'

'Initiated high-level intervention'

The same dispatch dated 29th June, 2009 also talks about 'Action' where Christian Michel mentions details about a meeting between Defence Minister and the Finance Minister with the aim to sort our and end the dispute.

'We have had to initiate a very high-level intervention to achieve this', reads the dispatch. 

Read: EXPLOSIVE: ED Cracks Agusta Kickbacks Scandal. Republic TV Accesses 52-page ED Supplementary Chargesheet Where Middleman Christian Michel Mentions 'Ítalian Lady's Son', 'Family' And 'Ahmed Patel'

Earlier on December 29, 2018, Enforcement Directorate had told the Patiala House Court that Christian Michel, who was extradited earlier in December, named one 'Mrs Gandhi' during his interrogation. 

The ED lawyer told the court that Michel said he was in touch with one Mrs Gandhi and "the son of the Italian lady" and how he is going to become "the next prime minister of the country".

The counsel, however, did not clarify who were the individuals Michel mentioned while in ED custody.

Christian Michel James has been described as a historical consultant of AgustaWestland/Westland Helicopters, UK with technical operational knowledge of the aircraft, the military bases and the pilots, by the CBI.

He is among the three alleged middlemen being probed in the case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The others are Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

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Published April 4th, 2019 at 23:15 IST

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