The Indian government has threatened to cancel a $750m (£479m) order to buy 12 helicopters produced by Yeovil-based AgustaWestland should an official inquiry proved the contract was secured unlawfully.
Cancellation of the deal would come as a major blow to the company, which has been pinning its ambitions on overseas sales as it loses business from the shrinking defence budget at home. It is Yeovil’s major employer, with 3,200 permanent staff and a further 1,500 sub-contractors.
Police in Milan arrested Giuseppe Orsi, chief executive and chairman of defence giant Finmeccanica - which wholly owns AgustaWestland - on Tuesday over allegations he paid bribes to intermediaries to win the Indian contract when he was head of the Somerset operation.
14/02/13 The Telegraph, UK
