Antigua ‘reluctant’ to extradite Mehul Choksi
Tiny island nation fears that throwing out the fugitive businessman will have a negative impact on its economy.
process and went through thorough vetting before he was given the citizenship and hence they do not have a strong ground against him. Their primary concern is that if they throw out Choksi, then nobody will use the CIP in the future and it will have a very negative impact on their economy,” an official source said.
Sources added that the government of Antigua and Barbuda is “cooperating” with the Indian government but has clearly said that it will be difficult for them to revoke Choksi’s Antigua and Barbuda passport as it was acquired legally and nothing illegal was found against him during the vetting process.
The Sunday Guardian reached out to the office of the Foreign Affairs Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, E.P. Chet Greene, which asked the newspaper to share the relevant queries with the office. However, no official response was received till the time of this story going to print.
As per the latest data shared by the CIP, ever since the programme was introduced in late 2013 and till June 2017, more than 1,400 people have taken citizenship of the country under the CIP.
“If he had any criminal warrant pending against him when he applied for the CIP, he would not have got the CIP. Choksi is taking the plea that he is innocent and he is being fabricated in the crime,” a source familiar with the development said.