New Delhi, March 5 (IANS): A special court here on Thursday refused to revoke the approver status granted to the AgustaWestland deal's alleged middleman Rajiv Saxena in a money laundering case against him.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier sought the cancellation of his approver status on the ground that he withheld information, misled the probe and did not make complete disclosures.

The United Arab Emirates security agencies had picked up Saxena from his Dubai residence on January 30 and extradited him to India the same night.

The middleman was later granted bail on medical grounds. The same has also been challenged by the ED.

According to the agency, Saxena, in alleged connivance with lawyer Gautam Khaitan, provided the global corporate structure that laundered money for payment to various political leaders, bureaucrats and Indian Air Force officers to influence the contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers in favour of AgustaWestland, the Rome-headquartered helicopter design and manufacturing company.