The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday continued questioning former air chief marshal SP Tyagi for the second consecutive day at the agency’s headquarters in the national capital.
According to sources, the CBI is looking through Tyagi's accounts and assets, and is also making attempts to find out why the former IAF chief met the representatives of AgustaWestland repeatedly. They are also trying to explore if there was any kind of financial transaction that took place.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned the former air force chief's cousin Julie Tyagi for questioning on May 6. The former IAF chief also has been summoned by the ED for questioning on Thursday.
The CBI had on Monday questioned Tyagi for around 10 hours over his alleged links with middlemen in the controversial Rs 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. The former IAF chief was also questioned about the source of funding for his post-retirement trip to Italy.
Tyagi is being questioned by the CBI after an the Milan Courts of Appeal – equivalent of a High Court in India – gave details of how bribes were paid by helicopter maker Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland to Indian officials through middlemen. The order reportedly mentions the name of Tyagi at several points.
CBI sources had said that during the probe on Monday they came across a trip undertaken by Tyagi to Florence, Venice and Milan in Italy after he retired in 2007. They said it is being probed who accompanied him on the trip and who funded for the hospitality.
The sources claimed that Tyagi was also confronted with response received from Italy on the judicial requests of CBI.
He was also understood to have been asked about the statements of middlemen Carlos Gerosa and Guido Hashke, to Italian authorities, who had purportedly claimed to have met Tyagi on several occasions between 2004 and 07.
Tyagi has denied allegations against him claiming innocence and that the change of specifications, which brought AgustaWestland into contention, was a collective decision in which senior officers of Indian Air Force, SPG, NSA and other departments were involved.
CBI had registered a case against Tyagi along with 13 others including his cousins and European middlemen.
The allegation against the former Air Chief was that he reduced flying ceiling of the helicopter from 6,000m to 4,500 m (15,000 ft) which put AgustaWestland helicopters in the race for the deal without which its choppers were not even qualified for submission of bids.
(With PTI Inputs)
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