The Tribune – Will take up frisking issue with government: Italian envoy

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 11. Italian envoy Daniele Mancini has assured Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh of taking up the issue of frisking turbaned Sikhs at airports in Italy with his government.

Mancini along with his family was here to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. He also visited the Jathedar’s residence in the holy complex. Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh raised the issue with the envoy and said it hurt Sikh sentiments as the turban was a religious symbol for the community. He said modern gadgets could be adopted to do away with the practice of taking off Sikhs’ turbans for intensive checking.

Mancini said he would take up the issue on a priority basis as over 2.30 lakh Punjabis resided in Italy. He said over 50 gurdwaras were situated in the country.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130512/punjab.htm#9

The Tribune – Italy says Indian SC order violates envoy’s immunity; Rome’s defiance unacceptable: Sonia

Ashok Tuteja, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 19. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today blasted Italy for refusing to send back the two marines to face trial for the murder of two Indian fishermen, even as Rome claimed that the Supreme Court order to bar the Italian envoy from leaving the country represented an evident violation the diplomatic immunity law.

“The defiance of the Italian Government on the question of the two marines and its betrayal of a commitment to our Supreme Court is outright unacceptable,” Gandhi said, addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

Gandhi, the chairperson of the ruling UPA, said, “No country can, should, or will be allowed to take India for granted.

All means must be pursued to ensure that the commitment made by the Italian Government to our Supreme Court is honoured.”

The Italian Foreign Ministry said Rome believed that the case of the two marines should be resolved in accordance with international law. “To this end, we have proposed that settlement of the case be submitted to arbitration or to another judicial mechanism.”

Italy said it hoped to find a solution to the dispute in the spirit of the friendly relations it wished to maintain with India.

In another development, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed the hope that India and Italy would resolve their standoff over the marines’ issue constructively and in compliance with their international obligations.

“The Secretary-General hopes and expects Italy and India to resolve this matter constructively, and in compliance with their international obligations,” a statement said.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130320/main3.htm

The Tribune – Sikh body backs removal of turban at airports; Akal Takht takes serious notice

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 7. The Akal Takht has taken serious note of an Italy-based Sikh organisation supporting the removal of turban at airports for carrying out security checks. It has directed the outfit to immediately withdraw a letter regarding the matter.

A complaint received at the Akal Takht secretariat says Italy Sikh Council has put up a letter (dated March 24, 2011) at Italy’s Brescia airport referring to an agreement reached with the Border Police Office and the SEA Staff under which turbaned Sikh passengers will have to undergo security check like other passengers.

It says the frisking of Sikh passengers will be done in a separate room where only security personnel will be present.

The letter says that it is for the passenger to decide whether he wants to have his turban checked by taking it off or through a machine installed for the purpose.

Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh, has asked the Sikh organisation to withdraw this letter at once. His personal assistant, Jaswinder Singh, said the Sikhs had time and again opposed the removal of turban for security checks.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130308/punjab.htm#11

The Tribune – Copter deal: CBI team back from Italy with papers

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 24. A decision on the Rs 3,500-crore VVIP helicopter deal is expected within next few days. While a CBI team has procured documents from the Italian authorities, the Ministry of the Defence will start the process of dealing with the show-cause notice it had sent to Italian aerospace major Finmeccanica tomorrow.

There have been allegations of a pay-off of Rs 350 crore in securing the deal for AgustaWestland, a helicopter producing subsidiary of the Finmeccanica. The CBI team returned this morning from Milan with a set of documents procured from the Italian prosecutor. The documents would be examined over the next couple of days and then the CBI will register a preliminary enquiry (PE).

“Sufficient evidence was on record to register a PE and that would be enough for the CBI to suggest to the MoD, the further course of action,” sources said.

The case will be against “unidentified persons” since the Italian authorities have so far shared only certain papers at this stage. The registration of a case will allow the CBI to seek help of Interpol, which had earlier expressed inability to provide any help in the absence of any regular case by the agency.

The MoD, on February 15, served a show-cause notice to the Italian company asking it why the deal should not be cancelled. The company replied last Friday saying: “It has acted correctly throughout the 40 years it has operated in India.”

One member of the CBI team is still in Milan and was expected to get more papers from there. CBI officials had requested the Italian firm to hand over the report of its internal probe.

The CBI team, along with officials from the MoD and the External Affairs Ministry, also took help of senior officials of the Italian judiciary to request for assistance in probing the role of Indians in connection with alleged kickbacks in the deal. Two law firms-Chiomenti and Grippo-helped in coordinating with the Italian authorities.

A maze of middlemen and corrupt officials aiding helicopter-maker AgustaWestland had worked through a system that did not allow any “scent of money trial” to reach Indian investigative agencies.

The MoD was left looking only at procedures and the laid-down specifications for the helicopters. Its functionaries could not see any possibility of money being exchanged.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130225/main2.htm

The Asian Age – CBI meets Italian judge, prosecutors

Pramod Kumar, Asian Age Correspondent

New Delhi, 21 February 2013. The CBI officials met the Italian judge and public prosecutors, who are part of probe into alleged kickbacks paid to clear the `3,600 crore AgustaWest-land helicopter deal, in Milan on Wednesday.

Sources in the agency said, “Meeting with the Italian judge was very useful. Officials had a separate meeting with the prosecutors who probed the `3,600cr VVIP helicopter deal also”. The agency officials requested the Italian judge to provide them certified copy of the probe-related documents, including report filed by public prosecutor Eugenio Fusco, sources added.

The CBI officials, a CBI DIG and a legal adviser are part of a joint Indian team along with a senior ministry of defence official that is currently in Italy to seek legal assistance in conducting the agency’s probe.

“If required, the agency officials will meet the Italian judge again on Thursday. The CBI has also engaged two legal firms in Italy for liaisoning with the authorities to get legal assistance in probing the role of Indians in connection with the alleged kickbacks in the `3,600 crore deal,” sources said.

Sources further said Chiomenti law firm and Grippo law firm have been engaged by the CBI to help in coordinating with the Italian authorities for getting documents and other relevant material pertaining to the deal for supplying 12 helicopters to India. Chiomenti law firm was established in 1948 and has 270 attorneys in six countries, including in London. Grippo law firm with 360 attorneys has a presence in five countries, including the UK.

The legal firms will represent India’s case with the Italian government and the local courts to find out the role of Indians in the alleged `3,600-crore VVIP helicopter deal scam in which Giuseppe Orsi, the chairman of Italian air defence group Finmeccanica, was arrested there.

In February 2010, India had inked the `3,600 crore deal to acquire the 12 three-engine AW-101 helicopters from AgustaWest-land for IAF’s elite Communication Squad-ron, which ferries the President, PM and other VVIPs.

http://www.asianage.com/india/cbi-meets-italian-judge-prosecutors-714

The Asian Age – Italy court won’t share probe papers

Asian Age Correspondent

New Delhi, 17 February 2013. The ministry of defence is rushing a senior official to Italy to gather evidence on allegations of corruption in the VVIP helicopter deal, with reports from Milan saying an Italian court has rejected India’s request for the probe documents on the grounds that the “information is covered by secrecy”.

The MoD official is likely to be part of a team that will comprise officials from the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) as well. The CBI will be sending two officials, including a senior investigator and a law officer. The team, which may include an MEA official, will attempt to meet the Italian prosecution officials.

The MoD, meanwhile, did not comment on reports in the electronic media that the CAG had sent certain queries and sought information from the MoD on the deal, which was inked in 2010. In another development, AugustaWestland said it would respond to a showcause notice issued by the MoD on why the deal should not be cancelled in the wake of allegations of bribery to secure the deal.

According to news agency reports from Milan, the Indian embassy in Rome received a communication on Saturday from the judge of preliminary investigations of the tribunal at Busto Arsizio stating that it was “not possible to give a positive reply” to the Indian request. In the letter received by the Indian embassy, the judge reportedly said, “The investigations were, in fact, at a preliminary stage, during which, as per Article 329 of the code of penal procedure, all information is covered by secrecy. Only parties and their lawyers were allowed to have access to the information and documents.”

The Italian judge, however, is reported to have told the Indian embassy that his office will consider a “fresh request” from the Indian side once the secrecy obligations in the matter get over.

Meanwhile, the government on Saturday said, “The MoD is deputing a senior joint secretary to Italy to gather as much evidence as possible relating to the allegations of corruption in the acquisition of 12 AW101 VVIP helicopters for the Indian Air Force. The official, A.K. Bal, will be leaving for Rome as early as on Monday.”

A ministry official pointed out that Mr Bal is currently posted as the joint secretary (air acquisitions) in the MoD. The MoD has already initiated the process to cancel the deal and Augusta-Westland has been given a week to respond to the MoD showcause notice.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by AugustaWestland said the Indian MoD “has given notice requesting information within seven days” and that “Augusta-Westland is preparing its answers to timely meet the Indian ministry of defence’s request”.

http://www.asianage.com/india/italy-court-won-t-share-probe-papers-248

The Tribune – Government to cancel VVIP helicopter deal; Puts AgustaWestland on notice; CBI to send team to Italy

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15. In a move that will be keenly watched by governments and defence equipment makers, New Delhi today took the first step to cancel the Rs 3,500 crore deal for 12 AgustaWestland AW-101 helicopters with Italian aerospace major Finmeccanica.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a formal show-cause notice to AgustaWestland UK, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica, for cancellation of the contract and taking other action as per the terms of the contract and integrity pact, ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said. “With today’s notice, the operation of the contract has been put on hold. The company has been asked to reply to the notice in seven days,” the statement said.

The notice will over-ride existing action such as initiation of a CBI probe into allegations of bribery on February 12.

The cancellation of the contract for the VVIP helicopters will mean India would recover the entire cost and damages from AgustaWestland and could also ban its operations in the country. A final call is yet to be taken on whether the entire Finmeccanica group, with its corporate headquarters in New Delhi’s Nehru Place, is banned or its subsidiary AgustaWestland alone faces the ban.

Under provisions of the contract and the integrity pact, India can cancel the contract and recover the money.

AgustaWestland did not declare its agents and is under contract to have not paid any amount to any individual or firm for securing the deal.

The cancellation means the helicopter maker will not be entitled to compensation and will be liable to refund payments made by India in terms of the contract with interest. The MoD will also forfeit the bank guarantee running into millions of euros. So far, the MoD has reportedly paid about Rs 1,000 crore to AgustaWestland.

The CBI today registered a complaint on the basis of a letter and the clippings of Italian and Indian newspapers provided by the Defence Ministry asking the investigating agency to probe the alleged Rs 350 crore kickback paid by an Italian firm to clear the deal. A formal case will be registered once the authenticated documents with translations are made available through the Ministry of External Affairs.

A CBI team is also being sent to Italy where the CEOs of AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica have been arrested on charges that kickbacks to the tune of around Rs 350 crore were paid to bag the deal for the VVIP helicopters.

A complaint was registered when senior officials of the MoD and the CBI met today. The case has been registered to ascertain if any kickbacks were paid, sources said. A warrant in an Italian Court says bribes were paid to cousins of former IAF Chief SP Tyagi to tweak the specifications of the tender. He has denied the allegations.

Yesterday in Europe, the Finmeccania stock dropped and was being traded at Euro 4.19 against Euro 4.76 three days ago. Being banned in the Indian defence market – that is looking to spend $100 billion in the next decade – could hive off a major chunk of present and future business for Finmeccanica while its rivals are expected to gain by its elimination. As per the 2012 yearbook of Swedish think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), New Delhi is the biggest Arms importer.

This is not the first blacklisting of companies and cancellation of contracts. In March 2012, India had blacklisted four foreign companies and two Indian companies on bribery allegation and got the CBI to register a case. Israel Military Industries Ltd; Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd; Rheinmetall Air Defence, Zurich; Corporation Defence, Russia; TS Kisan and Co, New Delhi, and RK Machine Tools, Ludhiana, were banned for 10 years.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130216/main1.htm

BBC News – India helicopter deal with Italy firm ‘may be cancelled’

Wednesday, 13 February 2013. India’s defence minister has said he would “cancel the deal” with Italian aerospace and defence firm Finmeccanica if there was any corruption in the purchase of helicopters from the firm.

AK Antony said the government would blacklist and take legal action against any company found to have paid a bribe.

India ordered an inquiry into the $752m (£481m) 12-helicopter deal after the firm’s chief Giuseppe Orsi was arrested in Milan on Tuesday.

Mr Orsi has denied any wrongdoing.

The Italian authorities have been investigating him for bribery and embezzlement for several months.

Mr Antony told reporters on Wednesday that the government did not care “who the companies are, or how powerful”.

“Nobody will be spared. If a company violates the conditions, they are liable for criminal action.

“We will blacklist them – we cannot allow corruption in defence deals,” he said, adding that “strong action” would be taken as soon as they received a report from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Meanwhile, the former Indian Air Force chief SP Tyagi has denied allegations that he or any of his relatives were paid bribes to secure the deal. Italian investigators have named Mr Tyagi in a preliminary inquiry submitted to an Italian court.

Italy has also issued arrest warrants for two people living in Switzerland. The head of Finmeccanica’s AgustaWestland business, Bruno Spagnolini, has been placed under house arrest.

India signed the agreement in February 2010 to purchase a dozen three-engine AW-101 helicopters from the Italian company for an elite squadron of the Indian Air Force which ferries around the president, the prime minister and other VIPs.

Reports say that three of the 12 helicopters have already been delivered to India and the rest are expected to arrive by the middle of 2014.

The ruling Congress party has been hit by a series of damaging corruption scandals recently and the opposition has made regular calls for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resign.

For Italy too, this is the latest in a string of corporate scandals. The Italian government owns about 30% of the company.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-21438275

The Tribune – Neighbour among 3 held for killing NRI woman

Our Correspondent

Fatehgarh Sahib, February 2. The district police today claimed to have solved the blind murder of an NRI woman at Khamano town, with the arrest of three persons. The police recovered the scissors used in crime and the ear rings, cellphone, gas cylinder and other goods stolen from her house. One of the murderers was her neighbour. He and his wife murdered the victim for her money and gold.

Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) H S Mann said one Jagjit Singh, resident of Balongi village in Mohali, had lodged an FIR with Khamano police that her grandmother, who had returned from Italy, was found murdered on January 20.

The SSP said he had entrusted the case to SP (D) Gurpreet Singh, who along with Station House Officer (SHO) Gurmeet Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) constituted a team, and cracked the murder case. He said the police had arrested one Nirmal Singh, the victim’s neighbour, who admitted to killing Amarjit during questioning.

The SSP said the deceased had two daughters, who were married, and her son lived in Italy. She had returned from Italy and was living alone in Khamano. He said Amarjit had given the 10 acres of land she owned on lease to Hakam Singh and Rupinder Singh. Nirmal Singh worked on the land as a labourer.

He said Nirmal Singh and his wife enjoyed a good relationship with the deceased. Mann said Nirmal Singh along with ]his two friends identified as Lakhbir Singh and Jagjit Singh tried to steal from the house. When Amarjit resisted, they killed her with a pair of scissors lying there. She died on the spot, he added.

Case file

Amarjit, an NRI woman from Italy, was found murdered at her house in Khamano on January 20.

The police claims Nirmal Singh, the victim’s neighbour, along with his two friends Lakhbir Singh and Jagjit Singh, had tried to steal things from the victim’s house.

When she resisted, they killed her with a pair of scissors.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130203/punjab.htm#2

Divali / Bandi Chhor Divas – Granthi Naginder Singh San Bonifacio Gurdwara

 

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Mission Seva Society
San Bonifacio – Verona – Italy