Choppergate Middleman clarifies |
Taking advantage of PM Narendra Modi`s recent engagement with the United Arab Emirates where the two countries have agreed to enhance cooperation in tracking crime, the Enforcement Directorate of India is approaching the UAE for the extradition of key `Choppergate` middleman Christian James Michel. The development comes even as the UK national, in a significant admission, said that his 2008 note to AgustaWestland India head Peter Hullet in which he advised that the British high commissioner in India should target Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her close advisers to help sell 12 AW-101 helicopters was "real". "As Mrs Gandhi is the driving force behind the VIP helicopter purchase, she will not fly any more in the Mi-8 (the ageing Russian-origin helicopters which needed to be replaced)," said the note which also named her "key advisers" as then PM Manmohan Singh, Ahmed Patel, Pranab Mukherjee, M Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandes, M K Narayanan and Vinay Singh. "My note on calling Sonia the driving force is real, but this is lobbying, not bribing," Michel said. Confirming that the note went from his office, Michel said, "My suggestion to target Sonia Gandhi doesn`t mean that bribes were paid as I thought she was the most powerful person (at that time) like Amit Shah is today.
|
|
|
|