Bribes are becoming corporatized. India’s some of the best known professionals find their clients in hiding the corrupt government officials and politicians from getting exposed.
How was the scam exposed ?
The corruption scandal was not exposed in India and was not exposed by Indian agencies. AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and Guiseppe Orsi, chairman of AgustaWestland’s parent company Finmeccanica, were arrested by Italian police in February 2013 on charges of paying bribes to win the deal. The then UPA government cancelled the deal, enchased the bank guarantee and ordered an investigation into matter. Air Chief Marshal Tyagi and his relatives along with Gautam Khaitan were arrested on the allegations of receiving bribe.
Corporate Structure
Gautam Khaitan was one of the well known lawyers of the country in early 2000s. Enforcement Directorate has arrested him for his alleged role in designing corporate structures to rotate corruption money through various countries.Khaitan had a simple modus operandi to set up companies for foreign clients. Initially, the company would be set up on the address of his firm O P Khaitan & Co by appointing his employees as directors and shareholders and would then be sold to his clients
AgustaWestland International Ltd, UK, wanted to get the orders from Indian air forces, paid 58 million euros as alleged kickbacks through Gordian Services Sarl, Tunisia, and IDS Sarl, Tunisia.
These companies further siphoned off the proceeds of crime in the name of consultancy contracts to Interstellar Technologies Ltd, Mauritius, and others, which were further transferred to UHY Saxena and Matrix Holdings Ltd.
Rajeev Saxena and his wife were associated with UHY Saxena. Its important to note that UHY is a professional services network just like KPMG or PwC.Saxena couple was associated with the network as the member of firm.
