UAE court has ordered the extradition of UK national Christian Michel James, a key accused in the VVIP chopper scam. Michel could potentially spill the beans on Indian politicians and bureaucrats who were paid bribes. This will allow BJP to put the spotlight on corruption under UPA

NEW DELHI: In a major boost for the NDA government, a UAE court has ordered the extradition of UK national Christian Michel James, a key accused in the UPA-era VVIP chopper scam, to India. Michel could potentially spill the beans on Indian politicians and bureaucrats who were paid bribes in the Rs 3,727 crore deal. 

At a time when the government is facing increasing criticism for runaway fuel prices and a plummeting rupee, the handing over of Michel to India will allow BJP to put the spotlight on corruption under UPA, since the Augusta Westland scam dates to the Congress tenure in office. It will also help the Modi government counter Congress attacks over alleged corruption in the Rafale deal and the escape of economic offenders like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. 

The government has been under pressure to show results in anti-corruption investigations, and Michel’s links could pose a problem for people who were at senior levels in the UPA-Congress regime, given his prominence in the deal. Top officials in investigating agencies told TOI that Michel’s extradition was confirmed to them through unofficial channels.

UAE is yet to officially send any document to the authorities here. The investigating agencies have accessed the UAE court’s extradition order. Late at night, it was being translated as it is in Arabic.

Michel was allegedly given Euro 42 million (around Rs 350 crore) by Anglo-Italian firm – AgustaWestland – for bribing Indian politicians, defence ministry officials, bureaucrats, IAF officials including its then chief SP Tyagi and others for swinging the contract in favour of the company for supply of 12 VVIP choppers.

Michel, a UK national, was arrested in February 2017 by the UAE authorities and since then, extradition proceedings have been going on. He is currently out on bail there. CBI and ED teams visited UAE a couple of times in the last one year to share documents, including chargesheet, witness statements and other evidence, with the UAE authorities and the court.

Officials see Michel’s extradition as a big victory in terms of establishing his links in political circles and the defence ministry and exuded confidence that actual culprits could now be identified once his interrogation begins in India. “Only he could tell who is ‘AP’, ‘Pol’, ‘Bur’ and ‘AF’ in the note he got written for paying bribes,” said an officer.