Mehul Choksi: Antiguans express dismay over abduction theories

Firebrand Mehul Choksi facing trial in Dominican court, is now among the most talked-about individuals in the Caribbean. He is continuously making headlines following media theories of his alleged escape and abduction from another Caribbean nation, Antigua and Barbuda.

WIC News correspondents spoke to residents of Antigua and Dominica on a range of issues related to Mehul Choksi, including his extradition, escape story, alleged abduction and sloppy theories of his lawyers.

A primary school teacher in Antigua, Benjamin Ray, while talking with WIC, said, "Mehul Choksi was born in India, his parents and grandparents were from the same country, and he defrauded his motherland! This is a bit disappointing for us that people like him are living among us."

Ray added that Choksi, with the assistance of his power and money, manipulated the Indian political system and mended the laws in his favour, which in return cleared his citizenship application of Antigua and Barbuda with a clean track record.

"He did not display his loyalty to his motherland; how can we expect him to be loyal to our motherland." While replying to a question of what do they think the government should do, Ray said that government must follow a more stringent process of due diligence before giving citizenship to individuals, "Not only criminal offences, the government must check the economic background of an individual. I think Antigua and Barbuda government should introduce or hire an agency to carry out these security checks so that in the future, people like Choksi are halted from coming to Antigua." Local Businessman Richmond Lottoya spoke out blunt and said, "Mr Choksi is a threat to our nation; due to his wrongdoings, we are facing the bad image which is ultimately affecting our businesses worldwide. I've seen his news all over the media stating that he was living in Antigua to escape from India after looting big money. Businesses including tourism on which our economy flourishes are suffering due to bad image rooted by Mehul Choksi."

He added that government should make arrangements to send him back to his own country, from where he committed fraud, and he must face justice like every other person in the world.

Lottoya further added that Mehul Choksi has been in Antigua and Barbuda for more than 3 years, "What he has done so far for the people of Antigua? He did not even provide any sort of employment to the people in his multi-billion business. He paid only for the citizenship as he wanted to escape from India following his fraud."

[caption id="attachment_35729" align="aligncenter" width="463"] File photo of Mehul Choksi and the court in Dominica[/caption] Aubrey Andrews, a local merchant, said that he believes in the country's judicial system and the court would decide his fate. "I do not believe in any theories roaming around media, I believe in the judicial system of the Caribbean, and it would do the best. If lawyers want to prove the abduction story, they should submit evidence to the court, not the media; similarly, if there were an escape by him (Choksi), the court would decide whether he would need to should be deported to India or Antigua." Replying to the question about Choksi's lawyer asking CARICOM to intervene, he added, "I do not know why they want the intervention of CARICOM in a criminal case. And in case, Choksi wants CARICOM to support him, why he is insulting our courts and justice system by spreading the word to the media. He must send a simple letter; it would be choice of CARICOM whether to intervene or not." Dominican resident Daniela Douglas reverted to the question about Mehul Choksi as a plot to undermine the people of the Caribbean. "The Europeans, Asians and people of the US and the UK, how they treat us and undermine us with a feeling of more superior than the people of the Caribbean. I have seen this all the time, they just believe that we are not worthy of anything. Our court would decide that what happens with the man who also thinks that he is superior to us." Another Dominican, Angelique King, agreed with the statement of Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who termed Mehul Choksi as a liability to the country. "We completely agree with the statement of Antiguan Prime Minister (Gaston Browne) that Mehul Choksi is a liability to Antigua. I would like to add here that he is now also a liability to Dominica as on the international stage, Dominica is being a victim of Choksi's owned media, which are alleging India, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica's government of involvement in the escape of Mehul Choksi," said Angelique King

Mehul Choksi is facing charges of illegally entering the Caribbean island of Dominica. The local court in the country has denied bail to Choksi, calling him a "flight risk" because of a "red corner" notice issued by Interpol in his name.

[caption id="attachment_34863" align="aligncenter" width="307"] Mehul Choksi's close aide Govin[/caption]

After the fugitive went missing from Jolly Harbour on May 23, 2021, his close aide Govin went to the media and revealed that he had escaped for Cuba, where he owns a safe house. Govin also said that Mehul Choksi holds citizenship from another Caribbean country besides Antigua and Barbuda.

[caption id="attachment_35728" align="aligncenter" width="458"] Mehul Choksi behind bars in Dominica[/caption] Family and lawyers of Mehul Choksi claim that he was abducted; they alleged that Indian and Antiguan authorities operated together to take him back to India where he is wanted in a $2 billion fraud against the Punjab National Bank. However, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne denied the allegations and stated that investigators had found no "conclusive evidence" that proves that Choksi was abducted.

The Criminal Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India also said that Mehul Choksi had been aware of the impending criminal charges against him even when he escaped India.

It is also believed that the court in the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda was expected to extradite Choksi to India, which is why he willingly abscond the country to run from the repatriation.