NEW DELHI: The CBI subjected former Indian Air Force chief S P Tyagi to sustained grilling for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in the `3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter scam and claimed that he had accepted having met a top Finmeccanica official.
Tyagi, who was called for questioning on Wednesday by the agency, has admitted during his interrogation that he owns four companies — Anuras, Vanshi and Shavan and Maghanshu. The agency is trying to ascertain how he allegedly parked the kickbacks he had received from the deal. He admitted meeting Finmeccanica chief operating officer Georgio Zapa in 2005 when confronted with a visitor’s register. Tyagi, who arrived at the CBI headquarters at 11 am and left at 8.30 pm, was evasive most of the time.
On Monday the CBI questioned Tyagi on various aspects of the case, including his alleged links with middlemen, trips to Italy, reasons behind changing specifications, and relations with his cousins.
Tyagi visited Italian cities Florence, Milan and Venice in 2008-09 after he retired from service in 2007. During one of his visits, Tyagi also visited an opera night. The purpose and details of his visit to Italian cities are being ascertained through questioning. Tyagi’s assets and bank accounts are also being checked. The investigative agency also found that Tyagi had visited Milan in 2012 and was found hanging around with Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke at the Milan airport on March 25, 2012. Christian Michel had arranged a meeting with Tyagi and the trip was organised on his insistence.