The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has directed the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to seek details from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer on the recent reports of graft and bribery in a $208 million deal.

“DRDO to seek explanation and details from manufacturers of Embraer aircraft on media reports on deal for the aircraft signed in 2008. On receipt of information by DRDO further steps may be initiated," said Nitin Wakanker, Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence.

The deal was signed in 2008 under which the company sold three aircraft EMB-145 equipped with indigenous radars for airborne early warning and control systems. This was under the former UPA government when the Minister of Defence was AK Antony.

This comes after a Brazilian daily reported that investigations are being conducted on the firm by the US government to ascertain whether it had paid bribes to bag contracts in India and Saudi Arabia.

The paper has also said that the company has been under the scanner of the US Justice Department since 2010 when it signed a contract with the Dominican Republic.

The issue has sparked political tussle between the BJP and Congress with IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accusing Congres of corruption.

Apparently, the deal was facilitated by an Indian middlemen based in UK.

This comes within a month India's defense industry got rattled by a massive leakage of sensitive information about the six Scorpene-class submarines made in India by French firm DCNS

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