New Delhi: Finding some newspaper clippings provided by the Defence Ministry insufficient for probe in the VVIP helicopter deal, the CBI today asked the ministry to furnish all documents, including its internal investigation, for registering a formal enquiry in the case.
A CBI team met a Joint Secretary level officer in the Defence Ministry who is also Acquisition Manager (Air) and sought all records required to proceed with the probe in connection with the alleged kickbacks paid to clear the Rs 3,600 crore deal, agency sources said.
CBI meets defence ministry officials; seeks records
During the meeting, the CBI team asked the officials to provide it files related to any sort of internal enquiry undertaken by it in connection with alleged graft in acquiring 12 AW-101 helicopters from Italian firm AgustaWestland for IAF`s elite Communication Squadron, which ferries the President, PM and other VVIPs, they said.
The agency also asked the officials to provide prima facie conclusions arrived in the probe.
The sources said the agency managed to get the 64-page report filed by Italian prosecutors through informal channels but it cannot proceed with the probe on this basis.
They said they had gone through the complaint given by the Defence Ministry and found that they have not provided any material except some press clippings which are not enough to proceed with a preliminary enquiry in the case.
According to the sources, Defence Ministry has deputed an IAF officer as nodal officer to help the CBI in its probe.
They said the ministry has provided some documents and also assured the agency to provide all the details as soon as possible so that probe can be initiated by it.
PTI
