AgustaWestland case: SC grants bail to key middleman Christian Michel in CBI case. Will remain in jail as bail is not granted in ED case

AgustaWestland case: Christian Michel gets bail but will remain in jail

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to alleged middleman Christian Michel James deported to India six years ago from Dubai in the controversial Rs.3,600 crore AgustaWestland helicopter purchase case being probed by the CBI. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed James was in custody for the past six years while the investigation into the matter was still underway. Christian Michel, however, cannot walk out of jail as he faces a related money laundering case by ED and his bail plea is pending in the Delhi High Court.

The VVIP choppers purchased during the UPA tenure became a controversy when the Italian Court started prosecuting the company and its top officers for bribery, where names of Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel were dragged into the chargesheet. Main middleman Christian Michel was close with Sonia Gandhi’s family for two generations and his communications claiming proximity with Sonia Gandhi in cutting the deal was part of the Italian Court documents.[1]

“Petitioner was extradited in 2018 and has been in custody for more than 6 years now. According to CBI despite filing two chargesheets and a supplementary chargesheet, the investigation is still ongoing. We are inclined to grant bail on such terms and conditions as determined by the trial court. The CBI will make appropriate request to the trial court for imposing necessary conditions,” said the bench.

The top court said Christian Michel would be released on bail, subject to terms and conditions decided by the trial court. The counsel for the CBI sought time saying the Additional Solicitor General was unavailable for arguments. When the bench showed its inclination to grant bail, the CBI’s lawyer said the plea was filed only in terms of seeking bail on medical grounds.

The court subsequently questioned the delay in the investigation and the trial of the case. It said given the speed, the trial would not conclude in 25 years. Advocates Aljo K Joseph and Vishnu Shankar, representing James, referred to his six-year-long incarceration. The chopper purchase scam relates to the irregularities following the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from chopper design and manufacturing company AgustaWestland. James moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court’s September 25, 2024 order refusing him bail in the case. British national Christian Michel was extradited from Dubai in December 2018, and arrested subsequently.

He is one among three alleged middlemen in the case. Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa are the other two. The CBI chargesheet alleged an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs.2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal signed on February 8, 2010, for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.[2]

The Enforcement Directorate, in its chargesheet filed against James in June 2016, in a related money laundering case, alleged he received 30 million euros (about Rs.225 crore) from AgustaWestland.

Reference:

[1] Agusta middlemen Michel, Haschke & Gandhi family ties – May 09, 2016, PGurus.com

[2] Italian media hints of Cong link to chopter case – Feb 15, 2013, J Gopikrishnan

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