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Informist, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025

NEW DELHI – The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday opposed the bail petition of Christian James Michel, one of the three alleged middlemen being probed by the agency in the AgustaWestland chopper kickback case. The agency's counsel advocate Zoheb Hossain told the Delhi High Court that there was a flight risk as Michel was a British citizen.

However, the counsel appearing for Michel said that the petitioner's passport had already expired. "After completing the maximum sentence, if I run away or stay, how does it matter? Six years, two months undergone, four months in Dubai. I am entitled to a remission. ED's argument does not hold any water," Michel's counsel said.

The probe agency said that the high court had earlier rejected Michel's bail petition saying there were no reasonable grounds to believe the accused was not guilty. The mandatory twin conditions under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, still remain against Michel, said the probe agency. In extraordinary circumstances, the courts have extended incarceration of the accused beyond half of the maximum prison term for the crime, said the agency.

On Feb. 18, the Supreme Court had granted bail to Michel in the case probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The top court had said that the bail was granted as Michel, who was extradited from the United Arab Emirates in 2018, has been in custody for more than six years and the investigation was still on. The apex court had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to request the trial court to impose conditions before releasing him on bail. On Tuesday, Michel's counsel said since the petitioner had already been granted bail by the apex court in the predicate offence, he should be given bail in the money laundering case also.

The high court said that it wants to see what condition the trial court would impose on Michel. "Today Mr Hossain (Zoheb) is saying he (Michel) will run away from the country. Let me see what they (trial court) do," said the court. It will hear the case next on Friday.

AgustaWestland chopper kickback scam involved money being paid to middlemen and Indian officials in 2006 and 2007 to purchase helicopters for very, very important people. The probe agency has alleged that there was an estimated loss of about INR 26.66 billion to the exchequer in the deal that was signed for supply of the choppers. Michel was accused of creating a paper trail to route kickbacks in the chopper deal.  End

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Ashish Shirke

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