New Delhi: A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a charge sheet against key accused Christian Michel in the AgustaWestland scam, the alleged middleman moved a Delhi court Friday claiming he had not named anybody before the investigating agency, said a PTI report.
Meanwhile, Michel also filed another plea before the same court accusing the Modi government of using the ED and other investigating agencies for political purposes, adding that the agency seems to have leaked the charge sheet to “sensationalise the issue”.
Representing the British national, advocates Aljo K. Joseph, Vishnu Shankar and Sriram P. also said in the plea that they were denied copies of the ED’s charge sheet on the grounds that the court had not yet taken cognisance of it.
The ED filed a supplementary charge sheet Thursday before a Delhi court in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper scam naming senior Congress leaders and the alleged middleman as an accused.
Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar will decide on the cognisance of the charge sheet on 6 April.
Also read: AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel identified ‘AP’ as Ahmed Patel, says ED
‘Selective portions’
In his plea Friday, Michel said, “…it appears that the ED has clandestinely provided a copy of the same to the media houses which is publishing the same in installments only to sensationalise the issue and prejudice the accused named therein even before cognisance is taken by this court”.
“…it is submitted that the selective portions of the said charge sheet has been published in one media makes it clear that the ED is not interested in a fair trial in a court of law and only wants a trial by media…” the plea read.
“ED is making a mockery of the judicial process resulting in complete travesty of justice,” it added.
The alleged middleman, who has been lodged in Tihar Jail since he was extradited from Dubai last year in December, said a trial by media can greatly influence and prejudice the case.
By supplying the documents to the media, the agencies are trying to influence and create a hostile perception, he said.
Michel has been accused of receiving kickbacks worth €30 million (about Rs 225 crore), the ED said in its chargesheet.
With inputs from PTI
Also read: ED files supplementary chargesheet against AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel