Court Upholds Finmeccanica Claims In Indian VVIP Helicopter Deal

A Milan court on Monday upheld an appeal lodged by Finmeccanica subsidiaries “seeking an emergency interim ruling” on the contract with the Indian MoD to supple 12 AW 101 VVIP helicopters.

The Court confirmed the ruling issued last January 8, prohibiting, as a preventive measure, Deutsche Bank S.p.A. to pay the collateral of over EUR 278 million deposited in relation to the contract.

“The decision of the Milan Court upheld almost all the claims made by the two companies (AgustaWestland S.p.A. and AgustaWestland International Ltd), recognizing the patently abusive behaviour of the Indian Defence Ministry in demanding the payment of the collateral on the grounds of generic allegations in relation to the unspecified non-performance of contractual obligations,” Finmeccanica said in an official statement.

Limitedly to the roughly EUR 28 million in warranty bonds, which have already been paid out by the State Bank of India and by Deutsche Bank A.G., and to the earnest money deposit of approximately EUR 350,000, the Court of Milan declared lack of jurisdiction and refrained from deciding on the issue.