New Delhi: Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief S P Tyagi, who was quizzed by CBI on Monday in connection with the 3600-crore VVIP Chopper scam, is alleged to have met AgustaWestland middlemen for seven times - from 2004 to 2007 - and travelled to Italy twice after his retirement.
Soon after his retirement, Tyagi has told interrogators that he travelled to Florence, Milan and Venice in Italy in 2008 and 2009, after his retirement in 2007, informed sources said.
“I have told CBI what I had to say. You people(media) are inhuman,” Tyagi told reporters on his way out of the agency offices.
CBI will soon quiz Tyagi’s cousins — Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep in connection with case.
Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan, who allegedly played a key role in moving the bribe money, is likely to be examined Wednesday.
The alleged meetings between the former Air Chief Marshal and AgustaWestland middlemen took place first when he was air vice-chief and then as chief of Air Force.
CBI investigators told IANS on the condition of anonymity that they were yet to find out the reason for Tyagi’s visit to the three Italian cities but they feel it must have been linked to the AugustaWestland deal.
The sources said they were also trying to find out if Tyagi met during those trips Augusta middlemen Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa -- whom he met around seven times between 2004 and 2007 in India.
The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he had reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) so that AgustaWestland was included in the bids.
The CBI says the reduction of the service ceiling, which is the maximum height at which a helicopter can perform normally, allowed the UK-based firm to get into the fray. Otherwise its helicopters were not even qualified for submission of bids.
Ex-IAF chief Tyagi is accused of having received cash from Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa in relation to the AgustaWestland chopper deal. Haschke and Gerosa are accused of being the middlemen in the deal.
Tyagi and the middlemen are among the 13 individuals named as accused in the CBI's FIR, which was later used by the ED for filing their separate case under criminal charges of money laundering.
However, this decision was reportedly taken in consultation with the officials of SPG and the Prime Minister’s Office including then NSA M K Narayanan.
Tyagi has denied allegations against him and has claimed that the decision to reduce the ceiling was taken by a group of senior officials.
The agency had already questioned Tyagi but this session was the first after the Italian court order.
(IANS inputs)
