VVIP chopper deal: Enforcement Directorate questions former IAF Group Captain

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday questioned a former IAF Group Captain in connection with its money laundering probe in the multi-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal. Sources said the agency questioned the retired officer for about two hours and his statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

They said the officer was questioned about some foreign remittances received in his account from suspected accounts of the middlemen who are alleged to have played a role in swinging 'kickbacks' to the tune of Rs 3,600 to crack the deal in favour of the said Italian firm.

The officer under scanner, sources said, has floated a private defence consultancy firm to interact with foreign vendors across the globe even as the sources said he "denied any wrongdoing in this VVIP choppers deal" case.

The probe agency, in the same case, had questioned an ex-Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday. The ED had registered a criminal case under PMLA last year to probe alleged financial violations in the 12 VVIP choppers deal by India from AgustaWestland.