The High Court of Delhi has issued a production warrant for Christian Michel to appear in court on 21 August as part of the hearing into the AgustaWestland Helicopter deal. The top court was also considering a petition on 31 July by the jail authorities allowing him to speak on the phone for longer than permitted by the jail manual.
The Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a probe into the €556 million deal for 12 AW101 helicopters from AgustaWestland following corruption allegations. Michel was a consultant to the helicopter manufacturer.
The case is being investigated by India’s top investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) – the national economic intelligence agency. The CBI is investigating his alleged role as a middle man in the deal while the ED is looking into money-laundering allegations against him. Michel is alleged to have paid bribes to top Indian bureaucrats to clinch the deal in 2010. He has denied the accusations.
The ED told the court that Michel received €24.25 million and approximately £16.1 million from the deal.
The Briton fled India when the CBI started investigating his involvement, but he was extradited from the United Arab Emirates in 2017 after Interpol issued a red notice for his capture. His extradition was considered a victory in Prime Minister Modi’s fight against corruption.
Meanwhile a lower court, where the original case was filed, has asked the Enforcement Directorate not to arrest Ratul Puri, nephew of Kamal Nath, Chief Minister of central Madhya Pradesh, and allegedly one of the beneficiaries of the bribe.