Indian authorities fail to produce evidence against Michel in UAE court

New Delhi: In a setback to efforts to extradite British national Christian Michel James -- one of the alleged middlemen in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case -- Indian authorities failed to produce any evidence before the UAE courts within the stipulated time, according to the lawyer of the accused.

The Indian government was supposed to produce evidence in the United Arab Emirates court by May 19, 2018 against Michel. "But the government did not present any evidence," Michel's lawyer, Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos, told IANS over phone from Milan in Italy. She said the government "does not have any evidence against" him and therefore its officials were unable to produce any, adding that there was "no evidence against Michel in Italy, Switzerland or India." Dos Anjos said the Indian government was given a further time of 45 days by the UAE court at its next hearing to produce evidence out of which 30 days had already expired without any movement.

Dos Anjos said that Michel was questioned by CBI officials in Dubai a month ago. Michel is still in the UAE, according to her. Neither the Enforcement Directorate (ED) nor the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were willing to comment on the case.