CBI may quiz Bengal and Goa governors in Agusta scam



Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan may be questioned by the CBI

Despite Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran advising CBI against questioning Governors of West Bengal and Goa, the agency might go ahead and record statements of the two as witnesses to ensure that the probe in the Rs 3,700 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal does not collapse.

Top CBI officials said there is nothing in law that stops them from recording the statements of the Governors as witnesses.

"The legal opinion was taken only as precautionary measure. We did not want to violate any protocols," said a senior CBI officer.

Sources said the Goa governor BV Wanchoo and West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan need to be examined as witnesses in the deal in which Rs 360 crore bribe was allegedly paid to officials to change the specifications to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland.

"It has been clarified that they need to be examined as witnesses and not accused. If we do not record their statements the case in the investigation will not move forward," the officer added.



Narayanan, who was then National Security Adviser, and Wanchoo, as head of the elite Special Protection Group, were reportedly part of meetings where the specifications for the helicopters were changed to favour Agustawestland.

The service ceiling or the altitude at which a helicopter can fly was changed from 6,000 metres to 4,500 metres. The change was suggested by Air Headquarters.

The CBI has named former Air Chief S.P. Tyagi along with his cousins and in the FIR registered by it in March last year.



The deal was scrapped by the government after the illegalities were exposed and the CBI registered a case.



Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran (left) had advised Ranjit Sinha (right)'s CBI against the move.



The Solicitor General in his opinion said that questioning the Governors even as witnesses in a criminal case could help to prosecute them later, and hence their constitutional immunity must be respected.

The top law officer said that they can be questioned once they relinquish office.



The CBI has sent Letters Rogatory or judicial requests to several countries to seek information about financial transactions done by companies and individuals named in the alleged deal involving kickbacks paid to Indian officials to establish the money trail.



Even the Comptroller and Auditor General in its reports slammed the Defence Ministry and Air Force.



The CAG blamed the Defence Ministry and the Air Force for causing an inordinate delay in the acquisition process and also limiting the process to only one contender which eventually favoured AgustaWestland.

