Judicial custody for Michel in Agusta case

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, January 5

A Delhi court remanded Christian Michel, middleman in the alleged kickbacks case in AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, in judicial custody today.

Michel was extradited from Dubai and arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 22. The court remanded him in seven-day custody of the ED. The ED custody was extended for seven days on December 29.

Today’s order was passed by Special Judge Arvind Kumar. In the ED case, the court remanded Michel in judicial custody till February 26 and in the CBI case, it sent him to judicial custody till February 27. He was earlier lodged in the Tihar Jail here.

The ED, through special public prosecutors DP Singh and NK Matta, told the court that probe had been “fruitful” till now. “We have investigated how cash was transferred through ‘hawala’ and multiple bank accounts. We have found information about other defence deals. We have documents to show that they misled the Italian court,” it said.

The court had earlier imposed restrictions on Michel meeting his lawyers in ED custody after the agency said he was misusing legal access by passing chits to the advocates, asking them how to tackle questions on “Mrs Gandhi”.