Indian Firm Paid 1 Mn Euros By Dassault in Rafale Deal

According to the French report, the country’s anti-corruption agency AFA found the payment was made in October 2018 and questioned Dassault, the manufacturer of Rafale fighter jets. The report said that the jet-makers have not been able to answer the queries

The Congress on Monday demanded an independent inquiry and posed five questions to the Narendra Modi government after a French journal alleged the Rafale deal involved payment of 1.1 million euros to an Indian middleman, and asked if the latest revelation has vitiated India’s biggest defence deal.

Referring to the first of a three-part series by Mediapart, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “Was the payment of €1.1 million shown by Dassault as ‘gifts to clients’ in reality a commission paid to middleman for the Rafale Deal? How can ‘middleman’ and ‘payment of commission’ be permitted in a ‘government to government defence contract’ or in any defence procurement in India in violation of the mandatory defence procurement procedure?”

Arguing that the latest media report vitiated the Rafale deal, Surjewala said the revelation entailed imposition of heavy financial penalties on Dassault, banning of the company, registration of an FIR and other penal consequences.