Rolls-Royce to return to govt Rs 18 cr paid to agents

Facing the heat of a CBI probe in an alleged bribery scandal, British firm Rolls-Royce has written to the state-owned HAL that it was ready to return Rs 18 crore paid by it to its commission agents to the government.

The Defence Ministry ordered a CBI probe into Rolls-Royce’s alleged hiring of middlemen in contracts worth around Rs 10,000 crore for supplying aircraft engines to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Rolls-Royce has written a letter to the HAL on March 5 claiming that it has paid only 1.8 million pounds (Rs 18 crore) as commission to its agent Aashmore Private Limited and was willing to return that amount to the Government, senior government sources told PTI here.

The aerospace PSU is now planning to forward the letter to the Government for further action on the matter, they said.

The Defence Ministry has already put on hold all existing and future deals with Rolls-Royce pending a CBI probe ordered into allegations of bribery and engaging middlemen in contracts for supply of aircraft engines to HAL.

HAL has also been asked to take action to recover from the London-based Rolls-Royce the money paid by it to its commission agents.

The decisions were taken even as Rolls-Royce in a letter written to HAL in December last admitted it had employed a Singapore-based person identified as Ashok Patni and his firm Aashmore Private Limited as “commercial advisor” in India, providing sales and logistical support, local business support and “strategic advice”.

“The firm has informed HAL that it has paid commissions to Aashmore Private Limited for clinching military deals and the amount ranged between 10 and 11.3 percent, sources said.

HAL and Aashmore Private Limited have transacted business worth over Rs 5,000 crore between 2007 and 2011, the sources said.

The commissions paid by the firm are in violation of the procurement rules in India which prohibits hiring of middlemen or commission agents while transacting deals with the defence ministry.

After ordering a CBI probe into the matter, the defence ministry sought the view of the Law Ministry for moving towards blacklisting the British firm but the IAF was of the view that a delay in signing a maintenance contract with Rolls-Royce will “impact the defence preparedness of the country”.

The IAF had to sign an important contract with it for maintenance and overhaul of the six types of aircraft engines in the AJT Hawk, Jaguar, Avro, Kiran MkII and Sea Harrier military aircraft and Sea King helicopters.

India will also seek information from Britain where the Serious Fraud Office is investigating bribery charges against Rolls-Royce in cases related to China and Indonesia, sources said.

The firm has also told HAL that it had severed ties with Aashmore and its owner in 2013.

The bribery allegations surfaced in the form of a letter received by HAL recently claiming that bribes were paid to officials in HAL and other departments concerned to bag contracts, the sources said.

An internal probe by the vigilance wing of HAL has prima facie established the charges, according to Defence Ministry sources.