Antony, Ratan Tata may give evidence in chopper scam
31 July 2013 4:21 AM IST
Defence minister AK Antony, together with a former UK defence minister and ex-chairman of Tata Group, have been lined up as witnesses in a trial of former bosses of Italy’s Finmeccanica over corruption in a helicopter deal with India.
The trial has raised the prospect that Finmeccanica could be blacklisted in India, the world’s largest arms importer and an important growth market for the state-owned aerospace and defence group.
On Monday, a judge in the northern Italian city of Busto Arsizio cleared more than 80 people as possible witnesses, including businessman Ratan Tata and former British defence secretary Geoff Hoon. Those cleared, however, may not be called to testify.
Prosecutors have accused ex-Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi of paying bribes to intermediaries to secure the 560 million euro deal in 2010 when he was head of AgustaWestland, the Finmeccanica unit that sold the helicopters.
The trial has raised the prospect that Finmeccanica could be blacklisted in India, the world’s largest arms importer and an important growth market for the state-owned aerospace and defence group.
On Monday, a judge in the northern Italian city of Busto Arsizio cleared more than 80 people as possible witnesses, including businessman Ratan Tata and former British defence secretary Geoff Hoon. Those cleared, however, may not be called to testify.
Prosecutors have accused ex-Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi of paying bribes to intermediaries to secure the 560 million euro deal in 2010 when he was head of AgustaWestland, the Finmeccanica unit that sold the helicopters.
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