With the Congress attempting to corner the Union Government for allowing the tainted AgustaWestland to take part in the 'Make in India' initiative and the Defence Expo, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said he will place documents on AgustaWestland deal before Parliament on May 4.
"I will place the detailed chronology with documents giving facts about AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on May 4," said Parrikar.
Parrikar had on Saturday said the previous UPA dispensation will have to answer who received the alleged kickbacks in the AgustaWestland chopper deal.
Those who were at the helm at the time when the deal was struck owe an explanation. The Italian court has clearly said that an amount of Rs 125 crore was paid. It has even disclosed some names. The government of that day needs to answer," he told reporters on the sidelines of foundation laying ceremony here.
On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force (IAF) over allegations of kickbacks by it for securing the deal.
The then UPA government had also barred Finmeccanica and its group companies from participating in any new programme of the defence ministry.
An Italian court, which convicted AgustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi, had reportedly described how the firm paid bribes to top Congress leaders to bag the Rs.3,600 crore deal.
A case was registered by CBI against former IAF chief S P Tyagi and 12 others, including his cousins, for alleged cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal, in which Rs 360 crore is alleged to have been paid as kickbacks.
Meanwhile, starting a fresh round of questioning after a recent order of an Italian court in Agusta Westland alleged corruption case, CBI also quizzed former IAF Deputy Chief JS Gujral for over eight hours in the case.
CBI has so far maintained that Gujral, who was procurement chief in IAF in 2005, was questioned as a witness in 2013 but was tightlippe on whether he retains the same status. The agency, so far, has not levelled any allegation against him.
