The Delhi High Court is set to deliver a verdict on the bail plea of Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the notorious Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, this Tuesday. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, after reserving the verdict on February 28, is scheduled to announce the decision at 4 pm.
Christian Michel, a British national, has been embroiled in allegations of money laundering and irregularities associated with the procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters from the Italian manufacturing giant, AgustaWestland. The case has been under scrutiny by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Previously, on February 18, the Supreme Court had granted Michel bail in the related CBI case. However, his ongoing detention under the charges by the ED has prompted his legal team to seek bail, citing that he has already spent over six years in custody, which is close to the maximum punishment of seven years prescribed under the anti-money laundering laws.
The ED’s counsel has strongly opposed Michel’s bail plea, arguing that he fails to meet the stringent conditions required for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, particularly emphasizing the risk of him fleeing from the country.
Michel was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and has since faced accusations alongside two other alleged middlemen, Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. The CBI chargesheet points to a significant loss to the Indian exchequer, estimating the damage at around 398.21 million euros (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) due to the corrupt deal signed in February 2010. According to the charges filed by the ED in June 2016, Michel allegedly received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland for his role in the deal.
