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VVIP chopper scam: Businessman got Rs 330 crores which was 'completely disproportionate' to his work done, says Milan Court

Interpol issued a red corner notice against Michel on India's request in December 2015.

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Amid political blame game between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress over the 2013 Augusta VVIP chopper deal, report said that a British businessman against whom Interpol has issued a red corner notice was paid millions of dollars by AgustaWestland.

According to Economic Times, the Milan Court of Appeals has described that the amount paid by AgustaWestland to Christian Michel is 'completely disproportionate' to the work he did for the company.

The court also noted that for various contracts which included a deal to supply spare parts for Indian naval helicopters and a post-contract service deal, AgustaWestland paid over 44 million euros (nearly 330 crore) to Michel.

The court, which has held that the Agusta sale involved corruption, has devoted a full chapter to Michel in its judgement, the report said.

On India's request in December 2015, Interpol has issued a red corner notice against Michel.

The Milan Court of Appeals, which overturned lower court's order, sentenced Finmeccanica's former chiefGiuseppe Orsi to 4.5 years in jail for false accounting and corruption in the deal of 12 VVIP choppers to India for over Rs 3,600 crore while former CEO of Finmeccanica's helicopter subsidiary AgustaWestland, Bruno Spagnolini, has been handed over four year sentence.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force (IAF) over allegations of kickbacks by it for securing the deal.

The then UPA government had also barred Finmeccanica and its group companies from participating in any new programme of the defence ministry.

A case was registered by CBI against former IAF chief S P Tyagi and 12 others, including his cousins, for alleged cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal, in which Rs 360 crore is alleged to have been paid as kickbacks.

The former IAF chief had strongly refuted the allegations against him.

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