2008 Embraer Bribery Case: Central Agency Arrests Gautam Khaitan
NDTV
The CBI arrested Gautam Khaitan last week, nearly six years after registering a First information Report(FIR) on the basis of a Brazilian newspaper report exposing alleged kickbacks of USD 5.76 million paid by the company in the deal for fully customised EMB-145 aircraft for the DRDO
The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has arrested Delhi-based lawyer Gautam Khaitan in the case of alleged commission paid by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to a UK-based Non-Resident Indian(NRI) middleman to swing a three-aircraft deal with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) worth USD 210 million in its favour in 2008, officials said Thursday.
The CBI arrested Gautam Khaitan last week, nearly six years after registering a First information Report(FIR) on the basis of a Brazilian newspaper report exposing alleged kickbacks of USD 5.76 million paid by the company in the deal for fully customised EMB-145 aircraft for the DRDO which were to be fitted with airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, they said.
Gautam Khaitan, who was also charge-sheeted in the Augusta Westland Very Very Important Person(VVIP) Chopper purchase case, was questioned for nearly four days by CBI officials after his arrest on August 25. He was subsequently sent to judicial custody, they said.
The CBI suspects that Gautam Khaitan was instrumental in moving the alleged bribe money to India through circuitous transaction using different companies abroad and in India, they said.
