In the wake of CBI filing a charge sheet against it for paying bribes to Abhishek Verma, blacklisted Swiss firm Rheinmetall Air Defence today denied any "inappropriate business dealings" saying these allegations lack "factual substance".
"Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (RAD), Zurich, strongly denies accusations of inappropriate business dealings with the Ganton group of companies and Abhishek Verma. Such allegations lack factual substance," RAD said in a statement.
"RAD clarifies that it made no illicit payments to Ganton or any of its representatives. Neither did the company collaborate with Ganton in order to prevent an RAD blacklisting in India through illegal means," the firm said.
"RAD is equally determined to prove that earlier allegations which had led to the company's blacklisting in March 2012 are false," it said.
The Defence Ministry had blacklisted the Swiss firm last year for its role in the Ordnance Factory Scam.
The CBI charge sheet was filed against Verma, his wife and associate Ancia Neascu, RAD India representative Gerhard Hoy and the Swiss company.
The allegations were that Verma, who is at present in jail along with his Romanian wife (also an accused), had received money from the Swiss arms company to delist them from the companies blacklisted by the Indian government.
Verma, who had been earlier arrested by CBI in connection with alleged fake passport and leaking of secret commercial information from Naval war room to foreign companies, is alleged to have taken USD 530,000 from RAD on the promise that he would use his influence to stall blacklisting proceedings initiated by the government against it in the OFB scam.
