Eight text messages exchanged between Italian-American middleman Guido Haschke and Aeromatrix Chief Executive officer led the Italian investigators to the alleged money laundering triangle route used in the 12 VVIP chopper deal, claimed probe report filed by Italian investigators in a court.
The report says ‘Kickback‘ money in AgustaWestland deal was allegedly routed through IDS Tunisia to the account of Aeromatrix. The report, which listed eight SMSs exchanged between Haschke and Praveen Bakshi of Aeromatrix, reveals that the surveillance net on Agusta and IDS Tunisia was widened by the investigators after they examined text messages indicating payments from IDS Tunisia.
Report suggests triangle route - Tunisia-India-Mauritius - for alleged transfer of ill-gotten money paid by AgustaWestland for securing the VVIP chopper deal. According to the investigation report, all eight SMSs were exchanged on December 19, 2011. Bakshi raised the issue of delay in payment from Agusta and asked Haschke to follow it up. They discussed the amount required immediately for operational purpose of the company. The report also reveals that Haschke took up the matter with an employee of Agustawestland - Garvaglia Attilio on December 22, 2011, for the transfer of money to IDS Tunisia.
It also named Hedi Kammoun, an alleged collaborator of Haschke and Gerosa in Tunisia and suggests Hedi was made responsible for the transfer of money from IDS Tunisia account to Aeromatrix. Investigators monitored and recorded the conversation between Hedi and Garvaglia Attilio on April 19, 2012, May 2, 2012 and May 7, 2012.
Hedi informed Garvaglia that money arrived in IDS Tunisia account and he will transfer the money to Pravin (Aeromatrix CEO) immediately. In another alleged conversation, Haschke and his partner Gerosa indicated Mauritius route. Gerosa told Haschke that Indian investigators may get information regarding money stashed in Mauritius through letter of request. Haschke assures him that they do not know through which channel the money was transferred.“Before they send letter to Mauritius, they have to understand money reached there. And to understand it went to Mauritius they first have to send a letter of request to Italy, then to Tunisia and then, maybe, in 10 years,” Haschke told Gerosa.