Saxena claims to know the entire money trail of the alleged kickbacks paid to manage the chopper deal in favour of M/s AgustaWestland. In pic: Rajiv Saxena (C), an accused in abortive, scandal-tainted helicopter deal with Anglo-Italian firm Agusta Westland, is pictured inside a vehicle outside a court in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough in the VVIP chopper scandal, co-accused Rajiv Saxena has agreed to turn an approver. He is all set to move an application in a local Court today seeking to become an approver in the case, said people with direct knowledge of the matter. His request will be supported by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Saxena was enlarged on regular bail on February 25 on medical grounds after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) refused to oppose his bail. The development assumes significance because Saxena has been described as the “key money launderer” by ED. Saxena, as first reported by ET, has named two high profile individuals during his questioning. One of them is a close relative of a top Congress leader while the other allegedly had in possession of hand written diaries detailing the kickbacks received for the VVIP chopper deal.

The Enforcement agency will support the application, to be moved by Saxena, who was extradited from Dubai on January 30. If permitted, Saxena will become the first approver in the high profile corruption case.

Saxena claims to know the entire money trail of the alleged kickbacks paid to manage the chopper deal in favour of M/s AgustaWestland.

Saxena has been named as an accused only by the ED so far, which had charge-sheeted him last July. Saxena is not an accused in the case of the CBI which wants to question him after ED managed to get him extradited from Dubai last month. If Saxena succeeds in becoming an approver, he will array as a witness.

Saxena’s alleged involvement is crucial for the agencies for he claims to know about the role of several players involved in the scandal. ET was the first to report on February 4 that ED in its remand paper told the court that it has found a “meeting point” (common thread) of kickbacks allegedly paid by Saxena and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who was extradited from Dubai last December.

ED told the court that Saxena has revealed “ownership/control” on certain companies which were found receiving proceeds of crime from a company used by Michel.

The remand paper further alleged that Rajiv Saxena, in “connivance with” lawyer Gautam Khaitan, another co-accused, provided “corporate structure across the globe for laundering operation” and played an active role in laundering the proceeds of crime.

It added that Saxena and Khaitan were the “key figures in placing, layering and integrating the tainted money” into the financial system.