Attacking the Congress over the AgustaWestland chopper deal, the BJP Thursday claimed the internal audit of the Italian firm has said there was a scam to the tune of Rs 236 crore and British middleman Christian Michel was "engaged" with the entire UPA cabinet.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the alleged scam in the AugustaWestland chopper deal, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, addressing a press conference at the BJP office here.
News paper reports have claimed that Michel did not cooperate for many days with the agency, he claimed.
"It was because he was tutored by a Congress lawyer about how not to cooperate with the CBI. The internal audit of the company, proves its a Rs 236 crore scam.
"Michel visited India 300 times in last 10-15 years and he knew about the movement of each file," he claimed and cited the media reports.
There is no genuine transaction of this amount and it proves that it was given to someone, the minister claimed.
Javadekar alleged that another another news report claimed that "classified reports were sent outside the country by Michel. There is correspondence says he engaged practically entire UPA cabinet."
The minister said as a Rajya Sabha MP he had questioned the then defence minister A K Antony over the deal, but Antony was evasive in his response and had said no inquiry can be done in India because no report has come from Italy.
Javadekar said he also wrote a letter to Antony on December 12, 2012, and challenged the then defence minister that his reply was not factual as probes have already started overseas.
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