New Delhi: With the VVIP choppers deal facing charges of kickbacks, government on Thursday formally asked Italian firm Finmeccanica to state whether any money was illegally paid to any Indian entity or individual amidst its warning of legal action including blacklisting of the firm.
The ministry of defence, which is under attack on the issue, came out with a factsheet detailing the sequence of the Rs 3 crore deal for 12 helicopters clinched in 2010 by a Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland.
It notes that the mandatory technical requirements of the chopper were changed in the tender during the Vajpayee government in 2003, with the then national security adviser Brajesh Mishra playing a key role.
Noting that the contract with AgustaWestland carried an integrity pact that bars paying of bribes or involvement of middlemen, the ministry warned of "strict action including cancellation of contract, recovery of payment, blacklisting and penal action can be taken against the vendors."
14/02/13 PTI/Times of India
