Pilatus deal scam: CBI files case against Sanjay Bhandari and officials of IAF, defence ministry, Switzerland aircraft company
A Pilatus trainer aircraft.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against unknown officials of the Indian Air Force, the ministry of defence, businessman Sanjay Bhandari, and Switzerland-based company Pilatus Aircraft Ltd over charges of irregularities and corruption in procurement of 75 basic trainer aircraft in 2009.
While investigating the case, the CBI found that a request of proposal was issued by IAF on December 16, 2009 for procurement of 75 basic trainer aircraft and M/s Pilatus Aircrafts Ltd was one of the bidders.
The investigation revealed that the company entered into a conspiracy with Sanjay Bhandari and Bimal Sareen, both are the directors of Offset India Solutions Pvt Ltd., and fraudulently signed a service provider agreement with Bhandari in June 2010, which was in violation of the India’s “Defence Procurement Procedure”.
Despite a “pre-contract integrity pact” was signed on November 2010 with ministry of defence, the company concealed the facts about signing of service provider agreement with Bhandari.
However, the CBI suspects the said commission amount was paid to influence the public servants of IAF and MoD who were associated with the process of the said procurement.
On the basis of subsequent findings, the CBI has now registered an FIR in the case and the development in investigations is under way.
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