AgustaWestland: Christian Michel's family appeals to UK minister over India corruption case

London, Aug 27 (PTI) The family of Christian Michel, alleged middleman lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in the estimated Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money laundering case, has met UK Foreign Office Minister Catherine West to appeal for his return to Britain.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the minister heard the family's concerns at the meeting on Tuesday and updated them on the actions being taken by the government.

The case had also been raised by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his UK visit last month for the signing of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

"The UK government is committed to seeing Christian Michel's case resolved as soon as possible,” an FCDO spokesperson said.

"We continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Michel and his family and have consistently raised his case directly with the government of India,” the spokesperson said.

The Foreign Office indicated that consular staff at the British High Commission in Delhi regularly visit Michel in detention, with the most recent interaction taking place on August 14.

“An Indian court has recently rejected my father’s appeal for release from prison, despite the fact that he has served the maximum penalty of seven years for the charge he was extradited for to India,” said Alois Michel, the son of the accused.

Earlier this month, a Delhi court had rejected Michel’s plea for release on the ground that he had served a maximum sentence for which he had been extradited from the UAE.

The court ruled that a forgery charge against him, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, can be decided only at a later stage.

“I have requested the UK government to approach the International Court of Justice at the Hague to demand my father’s release as India is not following its fundamental obligation to the rule of law,” alleged Alois Michel.

He claimed that, as per the extradition agreement between India and the UAE, his father cannot be tried for anything other than what was in the extradition application.  Michel was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and was subsequently arrested by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED).  On August 5, the ED had informed the court that Michel’s plea for release in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case was “misleading and devoid of any merits”.

The 63-year-old was granted bail in the CBI case by the Supreme Court on February 18, and two weeks later, he was granted bail in the ED case by the Delhi High Court.

Michel has not furnished bail bonds and remains in Tihar. However, Alois said the family is afraid that if he accepts the bail conditions, his father will then be charged with further offences.

According to reports from India, the CBI chargesheet has claimed an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (about Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer due to the deal that was signed in February 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth 556.262 million euros.

The ED chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016 alleged he received 30 million euros (about Rs 225 crore) in kickbacks from AgustaWestland. He denies the allegations of bribery in India. PTI AK ZH