NEW DELHI (AP) — India will punish any official found guilty of taking bribes from Finmeccanica to steer a multimillion-dollar helicopter contract to the Italian defense firm, the defense minister said Wednesday.
A.K. Antony told reporters the government would blacklist and take legal action against any company found to have paid a bribe in the €560-million ($670 million) deal for 12 helicopters intended for ferrying Indian officials around the country.
India's defense ministry has ordered a separate investigation into the defense agreement with Finmeccanica after the Italian company's chief executive was arrested in Milan on Tuesday on charges he had paid bribes to snag the Indian contract.