AgustaWestland case: HC grants bail to 'middleman' Christian Michel James in Rs 3,600-crore chopper scam

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Tuesday granted bail to 'middleman' and British national Christian Michel James in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money laundering case. The Supreme Court granted him bail in the CBI case on February 18.
The ED's counsel had opposed Michel's bail plea, arguing that the British national failed to meet the "twin tests" required under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and posed a flight risk.
Michel's lawyer had argued for bail, citing that he had already spent a significant time in custody. He said that while the maximum sentence under the anti-money laundering law is seven years, Michel had already been imprisoned for over six years.
James was extradited from Dubai in December 2018 and subsequently arrested by the CBI and ED. He was one of three alleged middlemen under investigation in the case, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.
According to the CBI chargesheet, the VVIP chopper deal, signed on February 8, 2010, caused an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (around Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer. The ED chargesheet, filed against James in June 2016, alleged that he received 30 million euros (approximately Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.