MillenniumPost
Nation

Defence ministry team set to grill Haschke on 13 Dec

An informed source of the ministry explained the reason why the team members had earlier said ‘no’ to the questioning. Apparently, the defence ministry team wanted to have all the facts they could fortify themselves with Haschke’s responses to the Italian prosecutor’s queries, before they began.

The source also explained that the response of AgustaWestland to the ‘show cause’ of the ministry, submitted on 26 November, is still doing the rounds at the defence ministry as they examine it. The source gave an impression that this may take some time as the issues are complicated, and are ‘connected to international treaty obligations etc.’

So, after the MoD goes through the documents, it will refer parts of it to the ministry of law and justice for their opinion, besides also the treaties and conventions division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

This tortuous process will surely take a while, ‘As we want to be absolutely sure before we act. Otherwise, if they go to court with our decision and get an adverse reaction it may cause us loss of face and punitive measures against us.’

Thus as it appears, this process of painstaking vetting by the MoD and the examination by other ministries will take some time, even as the countdown has begun for the UPA II government to face the people in the impending general election.

So, it could be the first case on which a new government will have to decide in the coming months.

Agusta sends sues MoD on arbitration


New Delhi: Facing threat of cancellation of its Rs 3,600 crore deal, AgustaWestland is understood to have sent a notice to defence ministry asking it to get involved in the arbitration process initiated by it.

The defence ministry has so far rejected the plea for arbitration by the firm and refused to be drawn into a legal battle with it.

The notice issued by the Anglo Italian firm has been received by the ministry recently in which it is learnt to have asked the government to get involved into the arbitration process failing which it will take up the issue at an international forum, sources said.
Next Story
Share it