AgustaWestland probe: Michel extradition possible, but no decision yet, says India

Christian Michel, who is alleged to have been a middleman in the Rs 3600-crore deal for 12 VVIP choppers, was detained by UAE authorities following an extradition request by India in June this year.

A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has not ordered the extradition of a key middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper scandal, but has not ruled it out despite him being a British national, two Indian officials with knowledge of the matter clarified on Wednesday.

A final decision in the case is pending, they added.

Indian officials believed on Tuesday night that the UAE court had ordered Michel’s extradition. But a copy of the court’s remarks, written in the Arabic script, showed on Wednesday that it had only expressed an opinion in the matter after the local government asked whether Michel, a UK national, could be extradited to a third country, according to an official who asked not to be named.

“The court’s opinion, which is in Arabic, says the possibility of Christian Michel being extradited to India cannot be ruled out. It is not an order clearing extradition of Michel.

The opinion has been made available to us through informal channels,” another government official said on the condition of anonymity.

Michel, who is alleged to have been a middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore deal for 12 VVIP choppers, was detained by UAE authorities following an extradition request by India in June this year. He was later released on bail pending court proceedings. India cancelled the chopper deal after bribery allegations surfaced in 2014.

India has not received any official communication from authorities in the UAE relating to Michel’s extradition, the second official said. “However, in the light of fresh news reports about his extradition being granted by a court, Indian mission urged the UAE authorities to provide them with details of new developments that they might have,” he added.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which alleged that Michel routed bribe money to political contacts in India, said it had not received any formal communication on Michel’s extradition. Both the CBI and Enforcement Directorate filed charge sheets against Michel and several others in connection with the case.