Prosecutors in the northern Italian
city of Busto Arsizio on Tuesday shelved proceedings against
aerospace and defence giant Finmeccanica for alleged corruption
in the sale to the Indian government of 12 AW-101 helicopters
made by its AgustaWestland subsidiary.
The prosecution found the company had nothing to do with
the alleged corruption. AgustaWestland has agreed to pay a fine,
while reiterating it knew nothing about the alleged bribery,
Finmeccanica said in a statement.
Prosecutors earlier this month asked that former
Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi be sentenced to six years and
former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini get five years in
prison for allegedly paying the bribes that secured the
566-million-euro contract for AgustaWestland.
Orsi, whose trial has been adjourned to September 30,
resigned from the helm of the State-controlled firm last year
after being arrested in relation to the probe.
He denied wrongdoing, telling a preliminary investigations
judge that all his actions were "motivated by the exclusive
interest of Finmeccanica and all its subsidiaries".
He also denied knowing the Tyagi family, members of which
prosecutors say received bribes paid by Finmeccanica to secure
the contract in India.
India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last year
questioned former Air Force chief of staff Shashindra Pal Tyagi
and his cousins Julie and Docsa Tyagi in connection with the
alleged kickbacks.
India froze payments on the choppers in early 2013
after only three had been procured in the wake of claims
that bribes had been paid to Indian officials to secure the
contract.
It cancelled the deal at the start of this year but has
agreed to take part in an arbitration process.
Formed in 2000, AgustaWestland is a wholly Italian-owned
helicopter design and manufacturing company, and a wholly owned
subsidiary of Finmeccanica. Based in Amsterdam, it employs some
13,000 people.
Finmeccanica's largest shareholder is the Italian
government, which owns 30% of the defence and transport
conglomerate. It employs some 63,000 people and posted profits
of 74 million euros on revenue of 16 billion euros in 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
