{"id":129961,"date":"2021-06-01T09:02:54","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T13:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=129961"},"modified":"2021-06-01T09:03:27","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T13:03:27","slug":"linton-says-choksi-was-removed-from-antigua-to-by-pass-ongoing-extradition-proceedings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/linton-says-choksi-was-removed-from-antigua-to-by-pass-ongoing-extradition-proceedings\/","title":{"rendered":"Linton says Choksi was removed from Antigua with the help of Dominica to by-pass ongoing extradition proceedings"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Statement by Dominica’s main opposition the United Workers Party.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

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The presence of Indian born Antigua and Barbuda citizen Mehul Choksi in Dominica following allegations that he was kidnapped in Antigua, beaten, ferried to Dominica, and taken into the country against his will highlights once again the extent to which departments of government are involved in organized crime under the influence and\/or direction of the regime of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.<\/p>\n

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The Parliamentary Opposition calls for an immediate end to this reckless \u201cNo law, No
\nConstitution\u201d governance conduct that disgraces Dominica as a rogue element in the family of nations and endangers the rule of law foundation for the advancement of civility in the global community.<\/p>

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Mehul Choksi, wanted in India on bank fraud charges, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering bought Antigua and Barbuda citizenship through the Citizenship by Investment Program in 2017. Choksi has been living in Antigua and Barbuda since 2018 and is opposing court action to revoke his Antigua and Barbuda citizenship and have him extradited to India.<\/p>

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With that matter pending in the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda, State actors under the
\nleadership of the Prime Minister of Dominica appear to be part of plot against the rule of law protection guaranteed to citizens that is effectively undermining the judiciary in the jurisdiction of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court for the benefit of a foreign power.<\/p>\n

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The removal of Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda, (where according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, he enjoys the constitutional privileges of citizenship) to Dominica, was intended to facilitate his transfer to India without having to wait on the outcome of the ongoing extradition proceedings scheduled for hearing in November 2021. To that extent, Dominica has been conscripted to unlawfully violate the constitutional rights of an Antiguan citizen for crass political purposes.<\/p>

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The following facts of his transfer to Dominica are extremely disturbing, indicative as they are of the involvement of the government of Dominica in the abduction and smuggling of criminally accused economic citizens across international borders:<\/p>\n

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  1. The operators of the Vincentian registered, St Lucia based schooner on which Choksi
    \nwas transported to Dominica on May 23rd, 2021 declared three crew members and two
    \nIndian passengers, not including Choksi, to the authorities on departure from Antigua
    \nand Barbuda;<\/li>\n
  2. Choksi arrived in Dominica with no passport and no personal belongings. The two Indian
    \npassengers on the Schooner were taken into Covid 19 quarantine and Choksi who was
    \nmet by senior Police Officers when he came ashore was detained in a police cell and
    \nthen quarantined on May 28th, 2021 \u2013 five days later;<\/li>\n
  3. On May 25th, 2021, the operators of the schooner made a false declaration to the
    \nDominica Customs Authority that they arrived in Dominica on May 25th, 2021 with three crew members and two passengers, not including Choksi. Notwithstanding the false declaration, the schooner was cleared by Customs to leave for St Lucia on the same day,
    \nMay 25th, 2021;<\/li>\n
  4. After Choksi\u2019s lawyers filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the Dominica High Court, Police
    \ncharged Choksi with illegal entry into Dominica;<\/li>\n
  5. With Choksi in police custody in Dominica, Antigua, and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston
    \nBrowne asked Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to deport him to India and not to
    \nAntigua and Barbuda. He subsequently confirmed that a private jet of Qatar Executive
    \nAirlines arrived in Dominica on May 28th, 2021 from New Delhi with documents from the
    \nIndian government indicating that Choksi is a fugitive from justice;<\/li>\n
  6. The High Court Judge in Dominica placed a gag order on lawyers in the Habeas Corpus
    \nmatter preventing them from saying anything to the media until the conclusion of the
    \nmatter; and the airport staff have been instructed that taking pictures of the
    \nBombardier Global 5000 jet of Qatar Executive airlines is strictly prohibited.
    \nThe unusual and calculatedly discriminatory behavior of the Police that allowed them to take
    \nChoksi into custody with no questions for the crew and passengers who brought him toDominica against his will seems to confirm that Police, Immigration and Customs Officials were
    \ninstructed by higher authorities in the Office of the Prime Minister and\/or the Cabinet of
    \nMinisters.
    \nWe demand a full investigation to ensure that justice is done in respect of:
    \n\u25aa The obvious collaboration between the governments of Dominica, Antigua, and Barbuda
    \nand India is undermining the judiciary in the Eastern Caribbean
    \n\u25aa The Police, Immigration and Customs Officials who openly allowed violations of the law
    \nto 1) facilitate the operators of St Lucia based schooner, and 2) detain Choksi on
    \nallegations of illegal entry
    \n\u25aa The Ministers of Government who instructed and\/or influenced Police, Immigration and
    \nCustoms Officials unlawfully facilitate the inhumane transfer of Choksi to Dominica
    \nWe demand urgent remedial action to remove the stain from this unfortunate incident on the
    \nimage of Dominica and restore our country\u2019s reputation as a responsible member of the family
    \nof nations, diligently carrying out the rule of law responsibilities of international development.<\/li>\n
  7. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Antigua PM denies plot with Dominica PM to send Choksi back to India<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n