The Antigua citizenship of diamond trader Mehul Chokshi — wanted in India in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank scam — will be scrapped once he has exhausted all his legal options, the Government of the island nation has said, according to a report in the Antigua Observer.
The revocation of citizenship will pave the way for his deportation to India to stand trial in the case. Antigua — among the many tax havens in the Caribbean — has no extradition treaty with India.
“His (Choksi) citizenship was processed; he got through but the reality is his citizenship will be revoked and he will be repatriated to India; so there is recourse. It’s not a case that we are trying to provide any safe harbour for criminals, for those who are involved in financial crimes,” Prime Minister of Antigua Gaston Browne was quoted as saying by the Antigua Observer on Monday.
“We have to allow for due process. He has a matter before the court and as we said to the Indian Government, criminals have fundamental rights, and Choksi has a right to go to court and defend his position. But I can assure you, after he has exhausted all of his legal options, he will be extradited,” Browne said.
Choksi, 60, had taken citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in November, 2017 using Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) of the twin island nation. He fled India in the first week of January 2018, days before PNB credit fraud scam worth Rs 13,400 crore was detected and reported by the bank.
Choksi, promoter of Gitanjali Gems, and his nephew Nirav Modi, who is currently in a London jail, are wanted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly masterminding the biggest banking fraud of India and laundering the proceeds of the crime.
Under the CIP, a person can take Antigua Barbuda passport on a minimum investment of $1,00,000 in the NDF investment fund in the island nation.
The CBI has managed to get a Red Corner Notice against Nirav but its application to get a similar notice from Interpol against Choksi has met a deadlock at the Lyon-based international police body.
The ED recently told the Bombay High Court that it was ready to provide an air ambulance to bring Choksi to India.
Choksi, currently based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, told the Bombay High Court that he left India for medical treatment and not to avoid prosecution in the case. He said he would return to India as soon as he is medically fit to travel.
He had escaped the country on January 4 last year on an Indian passport and took the oath of allegiance in Antigua on January 15, sources said.