MILAN – Leonardo he can go back to doing business with the Indian government. The Delhi Ministry of Defense on 12 November officially announced that it had lifted the export ban that had been decided against the defense and aerospace giant.
In particular, the note indicated that Leonardo and its subsidiaries and AgustaWestland International have been removed from the list of companies that cannot have commercial relations with the ministry, even if AgustaWestland itself no longer exists as a separate entity but has been absorbed by Leonardo. .
Thus ends a controversy that arose in 2015, when the Delhi government had imposed a ten-year stop on business with Leonardo. A decision that came the year after canceling a 546 million euro maxi order with AgustaWestland International UK for the supply of 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters. Decision which in turn came after the investigation which had hypothesized possible bribes by the former CEOs of Finmeccanica (now Leonardo) and AgustaWestland, Giuseppe Orsi and Bruno Spagnolini accused of international corruption for the alleged bribes paid for the supply to the government of Delhi of the 12 helicopters. Incident for which the former managers were then completely acquitted.
The ministry note also explains that the stop has been suspended in relation to reasons of necessity given that there are no possible alternatives to procure the 127 mm naval guns and other types of naval torpedoes.
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