Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi (MS)
New Delhi, Jul 3: In a new development in the Rafale deal, France opened an investigation into the alleged corruption and favouritism in the Rafale deal signed with India in 2016. India had bought 36 Dassault-built fighter jets. The deal that is worth 7.8 billion Euros will be probed by a French judge also.
According to a French online investigative journal, the highly sensitive probe into the inter-governmental deal between India and France on Rafale fighter jets was formally opened on June 14.
A French publication said on Friday that the criminal investigation into the matter will be led by an independent judge, who will, among other elements, examine questions surrounding the actions of former French president Francois Hollande.
In 2016, when the deal was signed between India and France, the present president Emmanuel Macron was the economy and finance minister of France while Francois Hollande was the president of the nation.
Mediapart did a series of investigations into the matter and a complaint was filed by French NGO Sherpa, the result of which led to the opening of the probe. Sherpa had also filed a complaint in this matter in 2018 but was rejected then.
In April 2021, Mediapart published a series of reports on alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal. According to one of its reports, the former head of PNF Eliane Houlette kept aside the investigation into the alleged corruption that took place in the Rafale deal despite the strong objection of his colleagues.
This inter-government deal was signed with France by the BJP government at the Centre led by PM Modi in 2016. The deal caught the eye of the opposition political parties and media after Anil Ambani owned Reliance Defence, which had no previous experience in such deals, was signed on as the offset partner by Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of the fighter jets.
Congress and other opposition parties alleged that the BJP union government had bought the Rafale jets at a much higher price than negotiated during the UPA rule. They also demanded the government reveal the price. However, the PM Modi-led union government rejected the demand of the opposition parties saying that disclosure of price is covered under the secrecy clause of the deal.
Former French President Francois Hollande hit the first nail during an interview by French publication Mediapart in which he said that he had no choice in the selection of an Indian offset partner as the name of Reliance was given by the Indian authorities.
Supreme Court of India also heard a PIL in this matter and gave the verdict, in November 2019, saying that it cannot see anything wrong in the deal.