Antony orders probe into VVIP chopper deal

[lepziboy]

Antony orders probe into VVIP chopper deal
Last Updated: Friday, February 24, 2012, 19:11 0
Tags: AK Antony, VVIP chopper deal, Italian defence

New Delhi: Defence Minister AK Antony on Friday ordered a probe to find out if there was corruption in the Rs 3,500-crore deal to procure 12 helicopters for VVIPs from European defence firm Agusta Westland.

"Antony today asked Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma to probe if there was any corruption involved in the procurement of these 12 AW-101 helicopters from European company Augusta Westland," Defence Ministry sources told PTI here.



Agusta Westland is a subsidiary of Italian defence company Finmeccanica which had edged out Sikorsky’s S-92 Superhawk for the deal.

India signed a contract worth Rs 3,546.17 crore in February, 2010, to procure 12 of these helicopters, of which eight would be for VVIP transportation and four for non-VVIP version.

The new helicopters are being procured to replace the ageing Russian-made Mi-8 helicopters that are nearing completion of their life.

Antony orders probe into VVIP chopper deal

 

[Tshering22]

Can't we have one effing deal without corruption? Hang 10 ministers everytime something like this goes. I wish the kleptocracy falls and gets replaced by a Modi-type semi-authoritarian regime that can actually work for the country rather than suck up all its wealth and stash it abroad.

 

[janon]

Can't we have one effing deal without corruption? Hang 10 ministers everytime something like this goes. I wish the kleptocracy falls and gets replaced by a Modi-type semi-authoritarian regime that can actually work for the country rather than suck up all its wealth and stash it abroad.

If you want a semi-authoritarian country, there are plenty of them in the world to move to. Indians like to be free people. Maybe you don't quite understand what authoritarian means, since you think Modi is one.

Yes we need efficiency like Modi has brought. We need people like Antony who will not let corruption creep in anywhere. But we don't want or need authoritarianism.

 

[Abingdonboy]

You need to visit this thread to see the truth not this slanted take on it:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian...es-italy-graft-investigation.html#post2630079


This is an internal investigation by Italians against Italians and as the IAF conducted a very through and professional evaluation process has very little blow-back on them. I would be very annoyed if this ruined the deal though, I was looking forward to seeing the first of these in IAF colours this year.

 

[Hulk]

Hope he is just not over doing it, there will be some element of corruption, in grand scheme of things it should be ignored.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Hope he is just not over doing it, there will be some element of corruption, in grand scheme of things it should be ignored.

No, this certainly isn't the way you should look at it, all corruption regardless of scale should be targeted. Afterall big things usually start small, whilst I am really looking forward to seeing this helo in IAF if there is any concrete evidence to do with corruption in this case then I am all for scrapping it and prosecuting. This will show India's resolve and that it doesn't pay to do such $hit with India.

I have a feeling this will come to naught though.

 

[Sashan]

Either Anthony need to come up with a fool proof defence procurement process or go for govt to govt defence deals even if it costs more - This is seriously getting more and more annoying - especially the gap India has in the defence.

 

[Vasily Zaytsev]

I will be more than happy if this deal gets cancelled.....

VVVVVIP helicopters my foot................the corrupt politicians did not take much time to clear this deal while they sat on many important ones like MMRCA, Submarines, howitzers......

When it comes to purchasing for our defence forces they take eons...........but when it comes to saving their own arses like this VVIP helicopter deal they clear it in no time.

Cancel this deal mr. antony................godspeed !!!!!!!!

 

[jamesbaldwin]

You need to visit this thread to see the truth not this slanted take on it:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/indian...es-italy-graft-investigation.html#post2630079


This is an internal investigation by Italians against Italians and as the IAF conducted a very through and professional evaluation process has very little blow-back on them. I would be very annoyed if this ruined the deal though, I was looking forward to seeing the first of these in IAF colours this year.

+me too:

 

[alok mishra]

i think army officers didn't give the part of bribe. that's why now he is crying.

 

[janon]

i think army officers didn't give the part of bribe. that's why now he is crying.

Unlike in all previous deals where Antony got a handsome percentage of all the contracts, which he used to buy the maruti-800 that he owns?

I think people do a disservice to society when they cast aspersions on the few incorruptible people we actually have, with no reason or evidence or even a hint of wrongdoing.

 

[alok mishra]

Unlike in all previous deals where Antony got a handsome percentage of all the contracts, which he used to buy the maruti-800 that he owns?

I think people do a disservice to society when they cast aspersions on the few incorruptible people we actually have, with no reason or evidence or even a hint of wrongdoing.

do you think he will buy mercedes and show it to whole world ? do you ever listen sonia and rahul buy any car but every one know about their swiss accounts ? 99% leader in india are corrupt and sonia will never appoint any honest person at this creamy post (defence minister).

 

[janon]

do you think he will buy mercedes and show it to whole world ? do you ever listen sonia and rahul buy any car but every one know about their swiss accounts ? 99% leader in india are corrupt and sonia will never appoint any honest person at this creamy post (defence minister).

I see. So he is corrupt because you think he has to be, you have a gut feeling. Great.

So he is guilty unless proven innocent. So until we search every inch of the earth and prove that he doesn't own a secret mercedes, we have to assume that he does.

(Just curious, what would he do with a mercedes without showing it to anybody, ride it from his bedroom to his kitchen?)

This is called inversion of logic.

You can't assert that a man is guilty unless you can bring even a shred of reason to warrant that suspicion. Just saying that he is corrupt because you think you know that Sonia won't give it to anyone else is called mud slinging. If you did this on a newspaper or TV channel, you would have your *** hauled off into court for defamation. And if this is what you claim in defence, you will probably be eating three meals a day at state expense for a couple of weeks.

Of course here you have the freedom to say anything you want about anyone. I believe in free speech, so I believe you have every right to lie about people. But I think it is immoral, and when directed at politicians, along with absurd generalisations like "99% of politicians are corrupt", it is actually breeding a certain hostility to the political process of our country, which is something I value greatly.

 

[Mech]

do you think he will buy mercedes and show it to whole world ? do you ever listen sonia and rahul buy any car but every one know about their swiss accounts ? 99% leader in india are corrupt and sonia will never appoint any honest person at this creamy post (defence minister).

I bet you read Times of India.

You clearly dont have the slightest clue on this guy's history. He's just too honest for his own good.

 

[Black Widow]

Scrap the deal and give contract to HAL. Instead of foreign Helo, They should fly in Dhruva.. Dhruva cost 8.8 million USD a piece, where as this deal cost 30 million USD a piece.

But our Son of B****, Bas*** ministers are not willing to sit in a HAL dhruv coz, its not Luxurious.