Mehul Choksi missing? Antigua cops confirm wife's complaint; FM thanks India for vaccine

As the search for the fugitive former diamantaire Mehul Choksi continues, a police officer from Johnson Point police station (the precinct near where Choksi has a home) told Republic TV on Tuesday that a missing complaint had been filed by his family. The PNB scam accused purportedly went "missing" after going out for dinner in Antigua island on May 23 and could not be traced even though his vehicle was traced in the Jolly Harbour later. Speaking exclusively to Republic TV's Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy, an officer from the Johnson Point Police Station said that the statement of Mehul Choksi's wife had been recorded after she lodged the missing persons complaint and that there were no details of whether the fugitive diamond merchant had fled to Cuba. Noting that precise information about Mehul Choksi was still unknown to the Police, the Antiguan cop told Republic that his car was spotted in the Jolly Harbour area at a distance from his residence.

Republic speaks to Antigua Police on Mehul Choksi's whereabouts

Antigua's Foreign Minister thanks India for support in fight against COVID-19

Antigua & Barbuda's Foreign Minister Everly Paul 'Chet' Greene informed Republic Media Network that law enforcement agencies were conducting searches & that the investigation was underway. Although Mehul Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal told Republic TV in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that the fugitive diamond merchant hadn't fleed to Cuba (as claimed in certain quarters), his current location is yet to be ascertained. 

Terming the diplomatic relations with India as 'mature', Foreign Minister Everly Paul 'Chet' Greene thanked the Indian govt for its 'generous support' via the supply of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines and deemed the donation as 'noteworthy' in the backdrop of 'vaccine nationalism and the challenges to small countries.' He also expressed his desire to visit India with a delegation, including legendary cricketer Sir Vivian Richards, to explore new & enhanced relations between the two nations. The Antigua & Barbuda's Foreign Minister expressed confidence in fighting off the health and economic pandemic COVID-19 with the support of the people. 

"Diplomatic relations with India continues to mature and I’m looking forward to visiting post-pandemic with a delegation to include Sir Viv as we explore new and enhanced relations," Foreign Minister Everly Paul 'Chet' Greene told Republic TV. 

Mehul Choksi faces the prospect of extradition

Mehul Choksi is under the scanner of both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. Along with his nephew Nirav Modi, he allegedly siphoned off Rs 13,500 crore of public money from the Punjab National Bank (PNB), using letters of undertaking. Owner of the Gitanjali group, a retail jewellery company, Choksi secured the citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in November 2017 under the aegis of the Citizenship by Investment Programme and fled to the island nation in the first week of January 2018.

India formally sought Choksi's extradition in August 2018 underlining the principle of reciprocity, the principle of dual criminality, and the United Nations Convention against Corruption to which both countries are signatories. In 2019, Antigua and Barbuda PM Gaston Browne said that Mehul Choksi will be revoked and will be extradited to India once all his legal options are exhausted. The current legal status of the fugitive diamantaire is shrouded in mystery as Aggarwal has stressed that the PNB scam accused remains a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda.