Chopper deal: Govt committed and serious to find out truth, says Congress

A day after an Italian court denied to share any documents with India regarding the Agusta Westland deal for 12 VVIP choppers, the Congress party on Sunday said that the government is committed to find out the truth.

New Delhi: A day after an Italian court denied to share any documents with India regarding the Agusta Westland deal for 12 VVIP choppers, the Congress party on Sunday said that the government is committed to find out the truth behind the alleged corruption in the deal and an investigation team will visit Italy despite the court refusal.
According to media reports, the Italian court, which is hearing the case of alleged corruption in deal, has informed the Indian embassy in Rome on Saturday that the investigation is at an initial stage and the documents can only be shared with the parties in the case, arguing that the information is covered by secrecy. “I don’t have detail information about the Italian court’s order, but the CBI is investigating the matter, and it will be not proper to comment on the matter before it submits its report. I can only say that the government is very serious and committed to find out the truth behind the deal. No one will be spared if found guilty,” said Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi. Another Congress leader, Jagdambika Pal said that a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) team is set to visit Italy and they will try to find out the facts. “It is the court that has refused to the share documents. But our officials can meet and talk to the government officials as well as the people related to the company. So, they will visit there and try to find out as much evidence as possible by talking and interrogating the people concerned,” said Pal. The Defence Ministry has directed the CBI to probe the matter and two officials from the CBI will also be visiting Italy. The copter scam has unfolded with the arrest of the head of a state-controlled Italian aerospace company. Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi, who was arrested on Tuesday in Rome, had been under investigation for months and had denied any wrongdoing in the deal for the sale of 12 AgustaWestland helicopters to India in 2010. AgustaWestland, the Italian firm is presently at the centre of a controversy over allegations of paying kickbacks in the Rs 3600 crore VVIP chopper deal. ANI