A Delhi court on Saturday ordered the release of Christian Michel James from custody in a money-laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate related to the alleged AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

However, James will remain in jail as he is also an accused in a separate corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the matter. In the other plea filed by James related to the CBI case, which was heard earlier in the morning, the court asked the agency to file a response.

James, accused of being a middleman in the defence deal, is under custody since December 22, 2018.

Special judge Sanjay Jindal, who was hearing the plea filed by James seeking release from custody in the case filed by ED, noted that he had already been in custody for the last seven years, which is the maximum punishment for the offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act that he had been accused of.

The court clarified that James was entitled to be released and could not be detained in this case beyond December 21.

According to the ED, James had facilitated bribes to Indian officials to secure a deal for the supply of 12 AW-101 helicopters. The central agency further alleged that he had laundered proceeds of the crime by routing illicit funds through shell companies. He is accused of receiving around Euro 42 million from AgustaWestland and distributing kickbacks to influence
the contract.