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Agusta deal: ED to quiz former IAF chief SP Tyagi on May 5

Enforcement Directorate is also likely to summon the former IAF chief's cousins for questioning on May 6.

New Delhi: Former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi, who is being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, has now been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Enforcement Directorate, which is also likely to summon the former IAF chief's cousins for questioning on May 6, is likely to grill Tyagi as part of its money laundering probe on the chopper deal a day before.

Meanwhile, Tyagi was grilled by the CBI for the second day today in connection with the controversial scam. Tyagi arrived at the CBI headquarters at 11 am, sources said.

Read: VVIP chopper scam: Ex-IAF Chief SP Tyagi grilled for 10 hours

The agency had questioned him on various aspects of the case including his alleged links with middlemen, his alleged trips to Italy, reasons behind changing specifications, and relations with his cousins on Monday the sources said.
Recently, the Milan Court of Appeals in Italy had concluded that bribes were paid to clinch the deal.

CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen. The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500m (15,000ft) which made Agusta Westland helicopters eligible in the race for the deal.

Tyagi has denied all the allegations against him. The agency had already questioned Tyagi in 2013 but this session is the first after the Italian court order.
CBI sources said the agency called Gautam Khaitan, former board member of Aeromatrix, one of the suspect in the case, for questioning on Wednesday while cousins of Tyagi -- Sanjeev, Rajeev and Sandeep -- have been called later this week.

Read: Ex-IAF chief denies wrongdoing, says chopper deal was a collective decision

It is alleged by Italian prosecutors that bribes to clinch the deal were paid through middlemen and routed through a consultancy contract between AgustaWestland and companies owned by middlemen. Khaitan and the Tyagi cousins have strongly refuted the allegations against them.

( Source : PTI/ANI )
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