VVIP chopper scam: Accused Christian Michel's lawyers & kin seek UK's help for release

On Thursday, the lawyers and family of the AgustaWestland scam accused Christian Michel urged the UK government to press India for his release from Tihar jail. Addressing an online press conference, the legal team comprising of Toby Cadman, François Zimeray and Aljo K Joseph and Michel's sons Alaric and Alois sought a fair trial and expressed concern about his well-being. “His life is in danger, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic raging in Indian prisons,” said a statement issued by the team. Referring to the fact that Michel was a European Union citizen at the time of his extradited from the UAE to India, Zimeray mentioned that he could raise this issue with the EU Commission.

Moreover, his kin and lawyers indicated that they would again petition the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), which had deemed the detention as "arbitrary". The Ministry of External Affairs had rejected the appeal for his immediate release. It is pertinent to note that the AgustaWestland scam accused had written a 35-page letter to UK PM Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Home Secretary Priti Patel seeking intervention in his case. He alleged that his extradition to India was motivated by "political reasons". 

UN body cries foul 

Functioning under the aegis of the UN Human Rights Council, the WGAD is a body of independent human rights experts that probes cases of arbitrary arrest and detention. On February 25, it concluded that the British middleman's extradition was a "de facto swap" for India's capture and return of a high-profile detainee to Dubai in March 2018. Calling for action to be taken against those responsible for the violation of Michel's rights, it allegedly held that he deserves compensation and reparations from India and the UAE.

Commenting on these "selective leaks" in the media, the MEA clarified that the WGAD's opinion is not legally binding as it is not a judicial body. Moreover, the Ministry made it clear that the UN panel's conclusions are based on biased allegations from an "unidentified source" and on an inaccurate understanding of the country's criminal justice system. Maintaining that Michel's extradition was done in accordance with the Extradition Treaty signed between India and UAE, it added that he was never denied access to legal counsel or a fair hearing.

Christian Michel's extradition

Michel along with two other middlemen Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke is accused of bribing politicians and other officials to secure the VVIP chopper deal for AgustaWestland. Despite being a British national, Michel was successfully extradited to India from UAE on December 5, 2018. After spending a few days in the custody of both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, he was sent to judicial custody on January 5, 2019. Since then, he has been languishing in Tihar jail as both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court dismissed his bail petition.