AgustaWestland is a subsidiary of Italian conglomerate Finmeccanica.
The interrogation of a former senior employee of AgustaWestland, corroborated by phone interceptions, bugs in cars and houses of the suspects and seized documents indicate that a “criminal conspiracy” was hatched to commit crimes like “international corruption, money laundering and illicit funds to political parties”, the report says.
Phone records produced as evidence in court has several references to alleged bribe money being transferred or hidden by Haschke.
“AgustaWestland is believed to have paid the mediators a commission of 41 million euros which later became 51 million,” the report says, adding that Lorenzo Borgogni, a former senior employee of the company claimed that two agents were hired to push the India deal.
“In particular, Borgogni talked about international commercial operations and especially about the supply of 12 helicopters from AgustaWestland International Ltd. to the Indian government thanks to the mediation of Guido Ralph Haschke and Christian Michel. Indian law does not allow any compensation for mediators,” the report says.
Incidentally, when the helicopter deal probe was first reported in March this year, Defence Minister A K Antony had informed Parliament that “no specific probe is being conducted about India-related transactions” by Rome.
