Ex-IAF chief Fali Major was hosted by Finmeccanica: Reports

“It was not for my personal requirement but for the delegation which was visiting the country,” he told a TV channel.

Significantly, the trials of the choppers were held after Major took over from Tyagi on April one, 2007.

The CAG, while auditing the deal, had observed that the trials of the AgustaWestland helicopters were conducted abroad and not in India and had questioned Major's justification in this regard.

The trials for the AgustaWestland model were conducted on representative Merlin helicopters and not on the actual craft whereas the other contender, Sikorsky, had offered its S-92 for try-outs, the CAG had said.

“Even at the stage of trials, the AgustaWestland chopper was in a developmental phase. Evaluation of helicopter following different methodologies could not give desired assurance that equal opportunity was provided to both shortlisted vendors.

“Thus, the recommendation and assurance given by the Chief of Air Staff in October 2007 to conduct trials abroad lacked justification,” the government auditor had said.