High Court Grants Bail to Middleman in AgustaWestland Case

The Delhi High Court granted bail to Christian Michel James, a middleman in the AgustaWestland money laundering case. The bail plea was reserved in February, with details pending. Previously extradited from Dubai, James spent over six years in custody despite the anti-money laundering law's seven-year maximum sentence.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Christian Michel James, an alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland money laundering case. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma made the decision after reserving the order on his bail plea last February.

This development follows the Supreme Court's previous decision to grant bail to the British national in a related Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case on February 18. The case centers on alleged irregularities in purchasing 12 VVIP helicopters from Italian company AgustaWestland.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s counsel opposed the plea, citing James as a flight risk and alleging failure to meet the “twin tests” for bail under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Despite this, James’ lawyer argued for bail based on the significant time he has already spent in custody and the maximum penalty under anti-money laundering legislation.