AgustaWestland Case: ED Opposes Middleman Christian Michel Plea To Modify Bail Conditions

National Herald

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday strongly contested a plea filed by Christian Michel James, the alleged middleman in the ₹3,600-crore AgustaWestland money laundering case, seeking changes to his bail conditions.

The matter was heard before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court, which scheduled the next hearing for May 6.

James, who was produced via video conferencing from jail as per the court’s earlier order, had approached the court seeking to modify certain bail terms. One of the key conditions he challenged was the requirement to furnish a surety of ₹5 lakh.

The ED, however, opposed any relaxation, arguing that James, a foreign national, has no familial or financial ties to India, making him a potential flight risk. “Without a local surety, there is no mechanism to ensure his presence in the country. He can easily flee,” the agency submitted.

Furthermore, ED also cited James’ past conduct, stating that loosening the bail requirements could make it difficult to secure his appearance during future court proceedings.

In addition to seeking relaxation on the surety requirement, James requested that the condition mandating the surrender of his passport be set aside. His counsel, advocate Aljo K Joseph, argued that the existing passport has expired, and applying for a new one could take four to eight weeks.

The ED opposed this request as well, suggesting that if the court allowed the renewal of the passport, the document should be handed over directly to either the investigating officer or the trial court to prevent any misuse.

Christian Michel was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and subsequently arrested by both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the ED. He is one of three alleged middlemen in the case, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.

The case involves the 2010 agreement for the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters from the Italian company AgustaWestland.

The CBI has claimed a financial loss of approximately €398.21 million (₹2,666 crore) to the Indian exchequer due to the deal. Meanwhile, the ED’s chargesheet, filed in 2016, alleges that James received €30 million (₹225 crore) in kickbacks related to the contract.

Michel was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in the ED case on March 4, while the Supreme Court had earlier extended relief in a related CBI case on February 18.