The hearing on the habeas corpus petition of fugitive Indian diamantaire Mehul Choksi began late on Wednesday (India time) before the top Dominica Court.
Sources said the Dominica police is carrying a “chargesheet” against Choksi before the court where a team of officials from Indian agencies is also present. A battery of seven lawyers is representing Choksi in the Dominican court.
Choksi is attending the hearing virtually from the hospital. Dominica Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lennox Linton is also present in the court, sources said.
According to a Dominican media outlet Associates Times, Linton is alleged to be influenced by Choksi’s brother, Chetan Choksi who is also a bank defaulter.
Chetan had landed in Dominica on May 29 in a private jet and he entered the island nation to get his brother released from Dominican custody, where he was arrested for illegally entering the country, the report said.
The Associates Times quoted sources as saying Chetan met the Leader of Opposition of Dominica in Marigot on the evening of May 30.
The meeting reportedly lasted for two hours at Linton’s home, where they discussed several aspects related to Choksi’s arrest and agreed on the commitment that in exchange for token money, promise of election donation and the LoP will press the matter in Parliament.
Chetan, who is Choksi’s younger cousin brother, also got into an agreement with Linton and promised him election funding for pushing the abduction theory being peddled by the fugitive businessman.
The Dominican media report further said Chetan disclosed during the conversation with Linton that senior Choksi had reached Dominica on his own, but they require the assistance of the Opposition to tackle the matter in court and against the Dominica Government to make them believe that he was abducted by Antiguan and Indian police.
“It is believed that Chetan even gave token money of $200,000 to Linton and promised him more than a million-dollar of financial assistance in the upcoming general elections. Chetan also asked the LoP to raise the matter in Parliament and issue statements favouring Choksi,” the report said.
Linton had been quiet after badly losing general elections. However, soon after getting the token money, he started spreading new theories related to Choksi’s arrest in Dominica. Initially, Linton was mum on the issue for more than a week and soon after Chetan held a meeting with him, Linton aggressively initiated his attacks on the government, it said.
The report also said Dominican Leader of Opposition has a long history of taking money from people for delivering unauthorised promises. In November 2019, a month ahead of general elections, Al-Jazeera’s investigative unit released a documentary that revealed how Linton promised a diplomatic passport to some investors in exchange for election funds amounting about USD 200,000.
Al-Jazeera had also revealed the document signed by the LoP where he promised to fulfill the requirement after becoming the Prime Minister.
Even in October 2017, Linton supported the separation propaganda of Brahim Ghali, who is facing critical criminal charges in the National Court of Spain. He had received US $500,000 from the Polisario Front as election funding, and Ghali offered him fertilisers for farmers in Dominica, it further said.
“Rugged image of the Opposition Leader raises questions on his statement and instant stand in favour of Choksi soon after meeting with Chetan also is a point of concern for Dominican authorities. Choksi who embezzled billions by putting sand in the eyes of the Government is now expanding his deceptive strategies to manipulate the court, police and politicians in Dominica,” added the report.