- News>
- India
AgustaWestland scam: Rs 28 lakhs were spent on a Hindi news channel`s senior journalist?
In a major revelation, a sensational claim has come to the fore in connection with AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.
New Delhi: In a major revelation, a sensational claim has come to the fore in connection with AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.
A senior journalist is under scanner of Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his role in AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.
It has been found that this journalist, who was working with a Hindi news channel, had travelled with his wife to Italy allegedly sponsored by AgustaWestland.
The ED officials allege that only on this journalist and his family an amount of Rs 28 lakhs was spent, according to a report in OneIndia News.
The ED wants to investigate the nature of the relationship between AgustaWestland and this journalist.
This journalist was questioned last year too and will be summoned again by the Enforcement Directorate.
James Christian Michel, one of the middlemen, was in charge of the media. He had organised junkets for officials and media personnel.
During the investigation, the ED found that Michel had spent Rs 4 crore only on the tickets which were meant for the junkets.
Earlier, on Saturday, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy had tweeted, "The first paid news journalist in AW scam to be interrogated."
On January 1, 2014, India had scrapped the contract with AgustaWestland for supplying VVIP choppers to IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.