CEO of Italian aerospace giant Finmeccanica arrested for India bribes

[doublemaster]

Vajpayee PMO tweaked deal: former air chief

 

[Abingdonboy]

Vajpayee PMO tweaked deal: former air chief

Of course they tweaked the deal orginally the RFI called for a helo that could land at 18,000 ft and ZERO manufacturers responded to this so they lowered it to 13,000 ft.


Can you ever see a PM or President taking their helo up to land at 18,000 ft which would call for a 7-10 day aclimitization period anyway??!!

Tweaks happen- is there anything wrong in this? NO!


Effing desi media.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Any Deal in India has a clause, if it is found there is corruption (bribe, kickbacks etc) then GOI can cancel the deal and the amount paid by India is recovered from the company. The same happened with IMI and IMI was blacklisted and IMI returned money to India.

I hope CBI finds wrongdoings in this deal so that this deal gets canceled and Augusta Westland has to return the amount paid back to India as specified in the contract and the Hardware goes back to Augusta Westland. They can do whatever they want to do witn those choppers.

I want the money which was spent on so called "VVIPs" to be returned and to be used for something else like Artillery, Military Choppers.

Good news indeed !!!

Oh please- do you want to see the very highest elected and military officials of India start getting killed in helicopter accidents?!! Do you have any idea how outdated and dangerous the current fleet of Mi-8/17 are becoming? Or would you like a Pakistani militant group to shoot down the leadership of your nation because the defensive suite on the current helos is not fit for purpose??!!

These AW-101s are not meant for just any MP they are meant for the highest echelons of your govt and military ie the service chiefs, Prime Minister, President and the highest cabinet ministers. These people truly deserve the best protection India can afford.

 

[axisofevil]

Oh please- do you want to see the very highest elected and military officials of India start getting killed in helicopter accidents?!! Do you have any idea how outdated and dangerous the current fleet of Mi-8/17 are becoming? Or would you like a Pakistani militant group to shoot down the leadership of your nation because the defensive suite on the current helos is not fit for purpose??!!

These AW-101s are not meant for just any MP they are meant for the highest echelons of your govt and military ie the service chiefs, Prime Minister, President and the highest cabinet ministers. These people truly deserve the best protection India can afford.

Let them die. Maybe some young fresh blood is what India needs. As for Heli's just convert our Dhruvs to fly VIPs. If they are good enough for our troops, then they should be good enough for our VIPs.

When was the last time you read a CEO in India getting arrested and charged for bribery? Yeah when Abingdonboy? Grow up!

 

[Abingdonboy]

Let them die. Maybe some young fresh blood is what India needs. As for Heli's just convert our Dhruvs to fly VIPs. If they are good enough for our troops, then they should be good enough for our VIPs.

When was the last time you read a CEO in India getting arrested and charged for bribery? Yeah when Abingdonboy? Grow up!

Let them die? Come on when you're saying this what constructive argument can we have ?

The President, the Prime Minsiter, the Army Cheif,The Navy Cheif,The Air Force Cheif, the Defence minister -Let them die?!!

What kind of mindset/wish is this?!


LET THEM DIE?!!

 

[Abingdonboy]

+ the DHRUV simply doesn't fit the technical specs for the job. It is a 5.5 ton light helo- the IAF needed a 10 ton medium lift helo. India doesn't make a helo up to the job right now so the only option was to look abroad. Don't be blinded by you own personal beliefs @axisofevil

 

[WHITESMOKE]

'Software deal’ used as front for helicopter bribes - The Times of India


NEW DELHI: AgustaWestland, the British helicopter manufacturer, took cover behind India's software exports to route funds it allegedly paid as kickbacks in the Rs, 3,546 croreVVIP chopper deal.

The British company, a subsidiary of Italian defence and aerospace firm Finmeccanica, routed up to 20 million euro (around Rs 144 crore) in the deal signed in 2010 via Tunisia. The remittances were shown as payments for software developed in India, perhaps because the company reckoned that transfers would not attract suspicion, given the large volume of exports. Software exports are expected to cross $75 billion this year.

The payments started sometime in 2007, or earlier, and went on until last year, when investigators began trailing the kickbacks. Of these payments, at least 100,000 euros was paid in cash to the three Tyagi brothers -- Juli, Docsa and Sandeep -- cousins of former IAF chief SP Tyagi when he was in office.

According to the documents filed in an Italian court, AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnoli and Guido Ralph Haschke, one of the key middlemen and a former director of real estate firm Emaar MGF, signed a consulting contract between the UK-based helicopter company and a firm called 'Gordian Services Sari' worth 400,000 euro. Of this, 100,000 euro was paid to the Tyagi brothers in cash.

Later, engineering contracts were signed involving IDS Tunisia and IDS India - two firms that figure prominently in the probe -- to pay "sums of money in order to pay public officials" in India, the documents show. In 2007, 640,000 euro was paid into IDS India "using invoices issued by IDS India, for non-existent operations," say the court documents.

In 2008, this amount was 1.3 million euro. In the same year, there may have been another payment of 977,263 euro. In the declarations for 2009, there is an entry of 508,000 euro payment to IDS India. In 2011, a payment of almost 6.4 million euro was detected.

The documents establish that the average monthly payment being routed into India was 510,000 euro without any taxes.

According to these documents, the AgustaWestland CEO Spagnoli also corresponded with Michel Christian, a UK-based middleman with deep political connections in India, for a payment of 30 million euro "to support the corrupt activities aimed at the acquisition of the contract". Christian is the owner of Global Service Trade Commerce, headquartered in London and Global Service FZE based in Dubai.

The report accuses the Tyagi brothers of influencing their cousin - IAF chief Tyagi -- for modifying the tender in favour of AgustaWestland, reducing the operating height from 18,000 feet to 15,000 feet and introducing a comparative flight with an engine failure. AgustaWestland's three-engine helicopter benefited from this particular trial procedure, the court filings show.

The documents also detail several meetings attended by representatives of the European firm with Tyagi brothers and the former air chief. One of them also talks about a marriage they attended, and how at least one of the cousins would touch the feet of the former air chief to show his respect.

 

[Umair Nawaz]

To quote from a very old "Wear Helmet campaign" (on DD),
MARZI HAI AAPKI, AKHIR SAR HAI AAPKA
(your head, your choice)

is he the same man who got rapped by pres musharaf recently??

 

[Abingdonboy]

Prasun K. Sengupta:

What the Italian investigations have so far revealed is that there are only allegations. There is not even circumstantial evidence to indicate a money-trial leading directly to former CAS ACM S P Tyagi, hence usage of the term ‘unquantified’ in the report. Secondly, as was rightly pointed out, in 2003 the then PS to PM & NSA the late Brajesh Mishra had decided to dilute the performance parameters (especially the service ceiling) to ensure that a single-vendor situation did not develop. He was right is doing so & as a result of this there was a competitive bidding process involving the Sikorsky S-92 Superhawk & AgustaWestland AW-101. The Eurocopter EC-725 Cougar Mk2 & Kazan Helicopter Plant’s Mi-17V-5 were both disqualified from bidding since they both did not have the ‘stand-up’ cabin as specified by the ASQR. In the end, based purely on performance superiority (including the vital three-engine capability), the AW-101 won, just as it had won the competition to supply the US President’s Marine 1 transport helicopter. Therefore, from a qualitative standpoint, the AW-101 was & ramains without any other equal—period. Secondly, such VVIP helicopters are meant not just for India’s President & PM, but also for other visiting Heads of State & Heads of Govt whenever they have to travel internally within India. The three armed services chiefs too are entitled to use them depending on the seriousness of their requirements. Consequently, a minimum of 12 such helicopters are required. Therefore, for former MPs like Manvendra Singh to say (on TV earlier tonight) that a ‘poor’ country ought to go for only three such helicopters is downright mischievous, ill-conceived, & moronic!!!
Now, coming to the bare-bones of this case, there’s no cover-up going on in India because the plot was hatched & carried out in Italy & the principal monetary beneficiaries are also based in Italy. Does one mean to say that in return for allegedly favouring the AW-101 for acquisition, the Indian parties will receive only 21 million Euros, while the Italian political parties will receive slush funds worth more than 30 million Euros? What kind of logic is that? Anyone who thinks along such lines, especially in India, can justifiably be called a MORON. In conclusion, it is an open-and-shut money laundering case: the Italians used the AW-101 contract to generate slush funds for political purposes in Italy & there was no hanky-panky involved in the AW-101’s selection process by anyone in India. But the ‘desi’ mass-media of India will as usual run around like headless chicken. After all, what else can one expect from the INDIAN EXPRESS whose Editor last April had claimed that the Arjun MBT’s cannon was supplied by Rheinmetall & earlier tonight on NDTV made yet another outrageous claim by stating that even after 27 years of R & D the Arjun MBT is yet to enter service!!! If I were to swing such a major deal in anyone’s favour & if I knew what quantum of the contract value is to be paid as commission, I certainly would not be satisfied with a part-payment of just 100,000 or even 500,000 Euros….that’s common sense, which regrettably continues to elude most of the gullible Indians who are basing their conclusions on the ‘desi’ mass-media’s so-called revelations.

 

[MST]

+ the DHRUV simply doesn't fit the technical specs for the job. It is a 5.5 ton light helo- the IAF needed a 10 ton medium lift helo. India doesn't make a helo up to the job right now so the only option was to look abroad. Don't be blinded by you own personal beliefs @axisofevil

I would like to disagree here. If the equadorian President can fly in Dhruv then Why not Indian President. I don't think we are any more richer (per capita) then them.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian...-defends-dhruv-helicopters-3.html#post3914697

Honestly I would like to know why there is a requirement for 10 ton helo and spend a billion dollar on it. Why can't a 5.5 ton helicopter (and now it has all the security gadgets i.e. MK IV) do the job.

Looks like there can be budget cuts every where but nothing can come in between the Netas and their aish-o-aram.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I would like to disagree here. If the equadorian President can fly in Dhruv then Why not Indian President. I don't think we are any more richer (per capita) then them.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian...-defends-dhruv-helicopters-3.html#post3914697

Honestly I would like to know why there is a requirement for 10 ton helo and spend a billion dollar on it. Why can't a 5.5 ton helicopter (and now it has all the security gadgets i.e. MK IV) do the job.

Looks like there can be budget cuts every where but nothing can come in between the Netas and their aish-o-aram.

It's not about per capita income. Is this really what the conversation has come to- comparing India to Ecuador?? India is by far a more powerful nation that spends far more on defence.

 

[MST]

It's not about per capita income. Is this really what the conversation has come to- comparing India to Ecuador?? India is by far a more powerful nation that spends far more on defence.

that still doesn't answer why Dhruv MK IV with all goodies can't be used to carry VVIP.
And India is not yet a powerful nation. It may be in future. With all these cost cutting going on, the first one that should be cancelled should be Augusta Helo. Politicians should lead by example

 

[Abingdonboy]

that still doesn't answer why Dhruv MK IV with all goodies can't be used to carry VVIP.
And India is not yet a powerful nation. It may be in future. With all these cost cutting going on, the first one that should be cancelled should be Augusta Helo. Politicians should lead by example

The current MI-8/17 used by these VVIPs that the AW-101 is set to replace are junk and are close to endangering the lives of those who fly in them. India can afford the AW-101s so what's the problem?


Wrt the MK.IV ALH. Firstly the IAF required a helo where the occupants could stand- can't do that in ALH, one that could carry 14+ passengers when configured for VVIP use- there is NO WAY the ALH can do this. The ALH MK.IV is a very capable machine but it just isn't an adequate substitute for the AW-101 or even the current MI-8/17 used right now. The ALH WSI has a capacity of ~8 (down from 14 as there are now mission computers in the cabin that take up space) and if it was configured for VVIP travel (if that is even possible) the capcity would go down to <5- not good enough.



The ALH simply doesn't fit the IAF's requirements. The fact of the matter is that India doesn't make a helo suitible for this requirement right now. There is no need to try and shoe horn the ALH into the space- if the ALH wasn't Indian you wouldn't even be making an argument for a 5.5 ton helo for this program.

 

[MST]

The current MI-8/17 used by these VVIPs that the AW-101 is set to replace are junk and are close to endangering the lives of those who fly in them. India can afford the AW-101s so what's the problem?


Wrt the MK.IV ALH. Firstly the IAF required a helo where the occupants could stand- can't do that in ALH, one that could carry 14+ passengers when configured for VVIP use- there is NO WAY the ALH can do this. The ALH MK.IV is a very capable machine but it just isn't an adequate substitute for the AW-101 or even the current MI-8/17 used right now. The ALH WSI has a capacity of ~8 (down from 14 as there are now mission computers in the cabin that take up space) and if it was configured for VVIP travel (if that is even possible) the capcity would go down to <5- not good enough.



The ALH simply doesn't fit the IAF's requirements. The fact of the matter is that India doesn't make a helo suitible for this requirement right now. There is no need to try and shoe horn the ALH into the space- if the ALH wasn't Indian you wouldn't even be making an argument for a 5.5 ton helo for this program.

May be I am simple minded. But I don't understand the 14+ number that needs to travel in a VVIP helo. If you are travelling with such large contingent use the plane or take two helos. I thought most important concern for VVIP travel was security and the Dhruv MK IV (and not WSI) will very much take care of it. Yes before MK IV I would have accepted that may be Augusta is needed but its hard for me to accept it now. This is not a critical defense area that needs to be the very best in the world. The use of Druv by VVIPs in India will give it a major marketing talking point.

 

[Abingdonboy]

May be I am simple minded. But I don't understand the 14+ number that needs to travel in a VVIP helo. If you are travelling with such large contingent use the plane or take two helos. I thought most important concern for VVIP travel was security and the Dhruv MK IV (and not WSI) will very much take care of it. Yes before MK IV I would have accepted that may be Augusta is needed but its hard for me to accept it now. This is not a critical defense area that needs to be the very best in the world. The use of Druv by VVIPs in India will give it a major marketing talking point.

Sir, the fact is the ALH is simply to small let alone the MK.IV. The MK.IV is a great helo but it is not a magic pill to be used for every task. Passengers can't stand up in a ALH- a key requirement for the IAF/SPG and it is not spacious enough to carry the number of passengers required. 14 is needed so that multiple VVIPs can be carried along with a few of their aids and bodyguards. An ALH would barely carry 1 VVIP and a few staff. PMs and Presidents travel with a lot of people from other VVIPs/heads of states to buisness delegations to security personnel to advisors to military attaches etc etc