New Delhi:
A court in Italy has refused to share with India documents of the Rs 4,000-crore VVIP helicopter deal that Italian defence giant Finmeccanica allegedly won by bribing Indian officials.
The court informed the Indian embassy in Rome today that the investigation is at an initial stage and the documents can, for now, only be shared with the parties in the case and their counsels.
India can make a fresh request for the documents at a later date and it could be considered then, the court said.
In 2010, Finmeccanica's subsidiary, AgustaWestland, won the deal to supply India 12 helicopters for use by VVIPs. Three helicopters have arrived, but allegations that the manufacturer bribed Indian officials, including former air force chief SP Tyagi, 30 million euros or Rs 217 crore have put the contract under cloud. Former air chief Tyagi has denied wrongdoing.
A team of the CBI, which is investigating the case, and a joint secretary of the Defence Ministry are likely to leave for Italy on Sunday to gather information about the case.
India yesterday started the process of cancelling the helicopter deal. The Defence Ministry sent AgustaWestland a formal notice and asked for a response in seven days.
The Indian embassy in Rome had requested for the case documents on February 13 after the arrest of Finmeccanica chief Giuseppe Orsi over allegations of kickbacks paid to win the helicopter deal.
The Manmohan Singh government has said the tender for the helicopters was changed by its predecessor, the BJP-led NDA coalition. However, the BJP counters that while its government requested the changes, they were notified by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government in 2006 and the deal was signed in 2010.