CBI Gets Custody Of Agusta Middleman Christian Michel, Hunt On For Account Used To Transfer ‘Bribes’

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has secured the extradition of Agusta Westland middleman Christen Michel, but is facing certain hurdles, Indian Express has reported.

The top investigative agency is finding it difficult to obtain the statements from Michel’s Lloyds TSB bank account in the UAE used by him to transfer money to India that was subsequently paid to politicians and bureaucrats, the report claimed.

The bank was later taken over by HSBC in 2011-12 and the account statements pertaining to the period when Michel transferred money to India are reportedly unavailable.

CBI, on Wednesday (5 November), told a Delhi court that a sum of 37 million euros was transferred by Michel to India using 12 fake contacts. According to the officials, Michel operated a UAE bank account of Lloyds TSB in the name of Global Service FZE (GSF), Dubai.

As per the officials, a sum of 30 million euros was transferred into GSF’s account by Agusta Westland (previous parent Finmeccanica) during 2006-07.

CBI alleged that the money was transferred to India and later distributed to politicians and bureaucrats in India.

The officials told that the investigative agency may find it difficult to prove the charges against Michel without the authorised data from the bank.

However, CBI officials claim that they have sufficient evidence against Michel and that UAE authorities have assured to provide India with the required bank data.