Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne described diamantaire Mehul Choksi as a 'crook' who “really brings no value” to the country, and indicated that he would be extradited after he has exhausted the process of appeals. "I can assure you that he will be ultimately deported after exhausting all his appeals. He will be extradited back to India to face whatever charges against him. It is just a matter of time," Browne said. He added that the country is not interested in having Choksi as he adds no value to it. Noting that India and Antigua and Barbuda have visa-free arrangements for officials and diplomats, he said, “So they can come and if they wish to interview Choksi, that’ll be based on his willingness to participate, it has nothing to do with my government.”
Browne also called it "unfortunate" that Choksi was cleared by Indian officials as a person in "good standing" and the country was later informed that he is a "crook". “Indian officials will have to take responsibility for that situation,” he added.
Choksi, his nephew Nirav Modi and others are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other probe agencies in the Punjab National Bank fraud case. The fraud came to light early last year after a complaint by PNB that the accused allegedly cheated it to the tune of over £1.3 billion, with the purported involvement of a few employees of the bank. The CBI and the ED have registered two FIRs each to probe the case. Both Choksi and Modi left the country before criminal cases were lodged against them.
Choksi is at present based in the Caribbean nation of Antigua. India has sought his extradition from that country and an Interpol arrest warrant has also been issued against him. India and Antigua and Barbuda do not have a bilateral extradition treaty but experts believe extradition is possible under provisions of Antiguan law. New Delhi has cancelled the passports of Choksi and Modi in connection with the PNB case. Modi was arrested in the UK on March 20 and has been in prison since then.
When contacted, Choksi’s lawyer Vijay Aggarwal said the diamond merchant was entitled to avail of all legal remedies. “My client Mehul Choksi is a law-abiding citizen. He left India for his medical treatment and at that time there were no CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) or ED (Enforcement Directorate) criminal proceedings pending against him nor was there anything conceived against him. He is not able to travel back to India due to serious health concerns. Every person who is facing any sort of accusations is presumed innocent until a court of law pronounces him guilty. He is entitled to avail of all legal remedies. He shall prove his innocence in due course of time,” Aggarwal said in a statement.
