Antigua Information Minister Melford Nicholav on Tuesday said the country didn’t have any reason to believe that there were criminal charges against Mehul Choksi when he applied for citizenship in the country.

“When Mehul Choksi applied for citizenship, his name didn’t appear in any of the agencies who would able to give an attestation as to whether or not there was a charge against him,” Nicholav said.

He further added the Indian fugitive obtained under a false declaration after which Antigua moved to rescind his citizenship, however, the move has been challenged by the diamantaire, he added.

“We had him (Mehul Choksi) under the point that he made a false declaration & moved to rescind his citizenship. He has challenged it in the court: Antigua Information Minister Melford Nicholas,” Nicholav said, according to news agency ANI.

For the uninitiated, fugitive businessman Choksi is currently facing trial in the Caribbean island of Dominica where he landed illegally in the aftermath of his disappearance from neighbouring Antigua and Barbuda islands on May 23. Choksi, however, claims that he was captured, beaten and tortured on Antigua after which he was smuggled to Dominica on a boat by Antiguans and Indians.   

His case is currently being heard on Dominica. It is learnt that Justice Wynante Adrien Roberts of Dominica court is hearing the bail application via Zoom. Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Sherma Darlymple is opposing the bail application while Choksi’s Lawyers are fighting for it.

Dominica is expected to deport Choksi back to Antigua or India based on the outcome of the trial. If the fugutive businessman wins the case, he may be deported back to Antigua, according to legal luminaries. The Antiguan government seeks to rescind Choksi’s citizenship which he has contested legally.  

Choksi, the prime accused in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank scam, fled to Antigua in 2018 where he took up citizenship.