Former Finmeccanica CEO GiuseppeOrsi was questioned by an Italian magistrate on Wednesday inconnection with allegations that kickbacks to the tune of Rs362 crore were paid in India to bag VVIP helicopter deal.
"Orsi was questioned yesterday by Busto Arsiziomagistrate Eugenio Fusco. The questioning was held at BustoArsizio district prison," D'Antona and partners-- a law firmhired by the former Finmeccanica CEO, said in a release.
"Orsi, with the assistance of his attorneys, ProfessorEnnio Amodio and Professor Novella Galantini, answered to allrequests made by the prosecutor and sustained that thehelicopters sale tender to Indian government was heldregularly," it said.
Orsi and former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini havebeen arrested for their alleged role in paying kickbacks tosecure the Rs 3,600 crore deal for supplying 12 AW-101choppers to the IAF.
The release said that at the end of the questioning,"Professor Amodio expressed his confidence in the imminentrevocation of the precautionary measure, having beingclarified all elements that brought to this decision and sincethere is no longer any reason to detain Orsi."
After the arrest of the two former CEOs, India initiatedthe process to cancel the deal by issuing a show cause noticeto AgustaWestland.
The firm denied the charges made against it in its reply,which has been rejected by Defence Minister A K Antony.