Christian Michel cannot receive remission due to non-conviction

Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, has not been convicted and therefore cannot receive any remission, according to Tihar jail officials. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claim that James received 30 million euros for his role in the case, which involved significant financial losses to the government. On Tuesday, Tihar jail authorities informed a Delhi court that there has been no recorded punishment for James during his time in custody, which has been satisfactory. The court's special judge, Sanjeev Aggarwal, requested a report in response to James' plea for six months of remission. James, a British citizen, was extradited from Dubai in December 2018, where he had been in custody for four months. The investigation focuses on irregularities in the purchase of 12 helicopters from the Italian company AgustaWestland. The CBI's chargesheet claims the deal, signed in February 2010, caused an estimated loss of 398.21 million euros to the government. James is one of three alleged middlemen under investigation, alongside Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa.