Christian Michel Granted Bail After Six Years in Indian Custody Over AgustaWestland Scandal
The British national, accused of facilitating bribes in a controversial VVIP helicopter deal, secures bail as Indian courts cite prolonged detention without trial.
- Christian Michel, a British arms consultant, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in a money laundering case linked to the AgustaWestland helicopter scandal.
- Michel has spent over six years in custody since his extradition from Dubai in December 2018, with no trial initiated due to incomplete investigations.
- The AgustaWestland deal, signed in 2010 and later scrapped in 2014 over corruption allegations, involved the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters for ₹3,600 crore (€556 million).
- Indian authorities allege Michel acted as a middleman, facilitating €30 million in bribes to secure the contract for AgustaWestland, causing an estimated loss of €398 million to the exchequer.
- Courts criticized the prolonged investigation and lack of trial progress, with over 100 witnesses and nearly 1,000 documents cited as reasons for delays.
The Independent 
Hindustan Times 
