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US firm Sig Sauer paid arms dealer Abhishek Verma to secure rifle deal in India, show documents
New Delhi/New York: Controversial arms agent Abhishek Verma's name has once again surfaced for allegedly bribing Home Ministry and Defence Ministry officials in securing a defence deal in favour of US small arms manufacturer Sig Sauer.
NDTV has accessed extensive correspondence between Abhishek Verma's wife Anca Neacsu and Sig Sauer officials, which show the US company was using Mr Verma and his associates for gaining entry into the Defence Ministry and Home Ministry.
Eyeing a $1 billion contract to replace Indian Army's Insas Assault rifles, Sig Sauer conspired with Mr Verma using his two front companies - Ganton USA and Ganton India. Documents show Sig Sauer agreed to pay 10 per cent commission to Mr Verma.
The documents, which include bank transactions, show that payments of $50,000 and $125,000 were made to procure two tenders. The documents have also named several top officials which influenced the deal, including officials of Joint Secretary level in the Home Ministry.
The documents are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) including videos taken in the Home Ministry and Defence Ministry.
Abhishek Verma is currently in Tihar jail on charges of illegal arms dealings. He was arrested in December 2012.
America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is verifying the authenticity of correspondence between Mr Verma and his estranged partner C Edmonds Allen, who was the president of New-York based company Ganton.
Mr Allen has alleged Mr Verma's involvement in the Rs. 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal with Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland. He forwarded emails between Mr Verma and AgustaWestland to Indian agencies in the last week of February, but investigators are yet to find any evidence of Mr Verma's involvement in the chopper deal, which is also being probed by the CBI.
US firm Sig Sauer paid arms dealer Abhishek Verma to secure rifle deal in India, show documents | NDTV.com
New evidence links Abhishek Verma to Sig Sauer's deals
Fresh evidence has been received against controversial arms agent Abhishek Verma suggesting that he bribed top military, police and Home Ministry officials as well as obtained secret documents to fix deals for leading US small arms manufacturer Sig Sauer.
The arms manufacturer allegedly employed him and his wife Anca Neacsu to procure deals for the Army, National Security Guard (NSG), Ministry of Home Affairs as well as state police departments.
While investigative agencies are still going through the evidence received in the form of documents, e-mails and files last week by the Defence and Home Ministry, besides investigative agencies sources said several files point to violation of the Official Secrets Act (OSA), Indian anti-corruption laws as well as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Sig Sauer did not respond to a detailed questionnaire sent by The Indian Express. The documents name several top officials, including of joint secretary level in the Home Ministry.
The new evidence also suggests that Neacsu shot secret videos from a hidden camera during visits to Home Ministry departments in the Capital and meetings with senior officials handling procurement of small arms as "proof" of their high connections.
Verma and Neacsu are already in jail facing charges under the OSA and of forgery. The new batch of information will add to the ongoing CBI probe into their dealings in allegedly receiving and paying commissions to swing arms deals.
The new allegations specifically are:
* The Sig group conspired with Verma and his associates to sell arms to India in violation of the FCPA and Indian laws. A JV called Sig Sauer Asia LLC was created with the sole purpose of paying 10 per cent commission on all arms deals made with the Defence and Home ministries in India.
* Home Ministry procurement officials, senior police officers and bureaucrats received favours to swing deals, in the guise of foreign tours, dinners and site visits.
* Illegal videography and photography was carried out by Neacsu and her associates in sensitive locations as "proof" of their high connections. This included the Home Ministry.
New evidence links Abhishek Verma to Sig Sauer's deals - Indian Express
New Delhi/New York: Controversial arms agent Abhishek Verma's name has once again surfaced for allegedly bribing Home Ministry and Defence Ministry officials in securing a defence deal in favour of US small arms manufacturer Sig Sauer.
NDTV has accessed extensive correspondence between Abhishek Verma's wife Anca Neacsu and Sig Sauer officials, which show the US company was using Mr Verma and his associates for gaining entry into the Defence Ministry and Home Ministry.
Eyeing a $1 billion contract to replace Indian Army's Insas Assault rifles, Sig Sauer conspired with Mr Verma using his two front companies - Ganton USA and Ganton India. Documents show Sig Sauer agreed to pay 10 per cent commission to Mr Verma.
The documents, which include bank transactions, show that payments of $50,000 and $125,000 were made to procure two tenders. The documents have also named several top officials which influenced the deal, including officials of Joint Secretary level in the Home Ministry.
The documents are being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) including videos taken in the Home Ministry and Defence Ministry.
Abhishek Verma is currently in Tihar jail on charges of illegal arms dealings. He was arrested in December 2012.
America's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is verifying the authenticity of correspondence between Mr Verma and his estranged partner C Edmonds Allen, who was the president of New-York based company Ganton.
Mr Allen has alleged Mr Verma's involvement in the Rs. 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal with Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland. He forwarded emails between Mr Verma and AgustaWestland to Indian agencies in the last week of February, but investigators are yet to find any evidence of Mr Verma's involvement in the chopper deal, which is also being probed by the CBI.
US firm Sig Sauer paid arms dealer Abhishek Verma to secure rifle deal in India, show documents | NDTV.com
New evidence links Abhishek Verma to Sig Sauer's deals
Fresh evidence has been received against controversial arms agent Abhishek Verma suggesting that he bribed top military, police and Home Ministry officials as well as obtained secret documents to fix deals for leading US small arms manufacturer Sig Sauer.
The arms manufacturer allegedly employed him and his wife Anca Neacsu to procure deals for the Army, National Security Guard (NSG), Ministry of Home Affairs as well as state police departments.
While investigative agencies are still going through the evidence received in the form of documents, e-mails and files last week by the Defence and Home Ministry, besides investigative agencies sources said several files point to violation of the Official Secrets Act (OSA), Indian anti-corruption laws as well as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
Sig Sauer did not respond to a detailed questionnaire sent by The Indian Express. The documents name several top officials, including of joint secretary level in the Home Ministry.
The new evidence also suggests that Neacsu shot secret videos from a hidden camera during visits to Home Ministry departments in the Capital and meetings with senior officials handling procurement of small arms as "proof" of their high connections.
Verma and Neacsu are already in jail facing charges under the OSA and of forgery. The new batch of information will add to the ongoing CBI probe into their dealings in allegedly receiving and paying commissions to swing arms deals.
The new allegations specifically are:
* The Sig group conspired with Verma and his associates to sell arms to India in violation of the FCPA and Indian laws. A JV called Sig Sauer Asia LLC was created with the sole purpose of paying 10 per cent commission on all arms deals made with the Defence and Home ministries in India.
* Home Ministry procurement officials, senior police officers and bureaucrats received favours to swing deals, in the guise of foreign tours, dinners and site visits.
* Illegal videography and photography was carried out by Neacsu and her associates in sensitive locations as "proof" of their high connections. This included the Home Ministry.
New evidence links Abhishek Verma to Sig Sauer's deals - Indian Express
