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 by Staff Writers New Delhi (AFP) Dec 5, 2018
The alleged British middleman in a scandal-hit helicopter deal between India and an Anglo-Italian firm was due to appear in a Delhi court on Wednesday after being extradited by the UAE, authorities said. Christian Michel James is accused of arranging kickbacks to Indian officials to secure a deal for AgustaWestland to supply New Delhi with 12 helicopters for 556 million euros ($630 million). Italian prosecutors suspect illegal sweeteners worth about 10 percent of the contract, or some 55 million euros, were paid out in bribes. India cancelled the deal in January 2013. James, who in previous interviews with Indian newspapers denied any wrongdoing, was detained in Dubai in February 2017 following an Indian arrest warrant and an Interpol notice. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought to capitalise politically on the scandal as the contract was signed under the previous government of the Congress party. The BJP said on Tuesday that the case could spell "serious trouble" for the "first family" of Congress, referring to the party's long-powerful Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, Indian media reported. In Italy, the former head of AgustaWestland and of parent company Finmeccanica were given jail sentences in 2014 over the scandal but they were later acquitted.
Slovak government clashes over largest-ever arms purchase Bratislava (AFP) Nov 30, 2018 Slovakia's prime minister clashed with the defence ministry on Friday over a deal to acquire US-made F-16 war planes in what is slated as the NATO member's biggest military purchase. The defence ministry announced Friday that it had concluded three agreements to buy 14 Lockheed Martin-made warplanes plus arms and training valued at 1.58 billion euros ($1.8 billion). Hours later, Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini issued a statement saying that the contracts were invalid because they had not been ap ... read more
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