Last Updated on March 10, 2024, 9:51 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The Indian Fugitive, who is residing in Antigua and Barbuda is reportedly using the stolen “2 billion dollars” to bribe officials of different sectors across the twin-island.
As per reports, in trying to protect himself, Choksi has been channeling much of the dirty money that he still controls into bribes that have captured sections of the nation’s law enforcement authorities, including the police, the legal structures and the media as well.
A combination of all three is being used by him to malign the image of Antigua and Barbuda, to ensure that his interests are preserved, even if it comes at a cost for the nation itself. those who know of what Choksi has done in India would understand the lack of morality he presents with in this regard.
Kenneth Rijock – An investigative journalist had earlier made it public that Mehul Choksi bribed Inspector Adonis Henry, who forged a police complaint to make it more aligned towards (Choksi) to benefit his investigation in the disappearance case of May 2021. He had also reported that besides the inspector, even Attorney General Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin also supported Choksi in exchange for monetary benefits.
Choksi has been known to have a penchant for going after individuals who are well placed in the business, political or public service sector, accusing them of misconduct or illegal activities to draw attention away from his misdeeds and gaining some form of leverage over them.
He has also ingrained himself into the very fabric of major media institutions which has allowed him to influence the narrative surrounding him quite significantly. In the process, Choksi and his allies have managed to spin yarns which keep people engaged and take attention away from the ultimate truth, which is that he is a con artist and fraudster of the highest order.
As much is obvious when you consider that he has in the past and continues till this day, to spend money he stole to satisfy his whims and fancies.
Before the world got to see him for what he really is, Choksi was the owner of a jewelry retail firm called the Gitanjali Group. Choksi and his now infamous nephew Nirav Modi are responsible for duping the Punjab National Bank out of a minimum of USD 2 billion, if not more.
What is even more shocking is that both Choksi and Modi are said to have colluded with Punjab National Bank officials to defraud the bank, revealing a large and intricate conspiracy which functioned at multiple levels.
Not too long ago, Choksi even went as far as suing the Attorney General of Antigua and the Police Chief on grounds of callousness in investigating his alleged abduction from Antigua and Barbuda.
Not surprisingly, authorities in Antigua and Barbuda dismissed the claim, bringing to court evidence which makes it quite clear that despite there being no evidence to support the notion that Choksi was abducted. The authorities added that they looked into the matter to the best of their abilities, with in the bounds of law of course.
It is quite amusing to note though that despite being a renowned fraudster, known for bringing a decided lack of morality to his business dealings and interactions in general, Choksi finds himself safe from the long arm of Indian laws.
In fact, up till this point, he has managed to put Antigua and Barbuda on the back foot as well. The nation now finds itself far too busy in justifying itself and attempting to preserve its image instead of rooting out a known criminal such as Choksi from the Caribbean.
The case of Indian fugitive Mehul Choksi has been making the rounds ever since his disappearance from India. Choksi is wanted by Indian authorities for his involvement in corruption, money laundering, cheating, criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
The bank fraud Choksi committed before leaving India, saw him swindling the Punjab National Bank out of an amount of US $2 billion, which brought much deserved scrutiny to those who were associated with Choksi and subsequently responsible for this lapse.
Needless to say, this scam and other such activities that were a part of Choksi’s repertoire, allowed him to damage financial institutions in India, to the point where their credibility and futures were in doubt.
Choksi has escaped extradition to India on more than one occasion, is now putting his ill-gotten gains and resources to use so as to ensure that he is not brought to justice in his country of origin. He first fled to Antigua and Barbuda, just days prior to his scam with PNB being revealed.
Choksi’s ability to use legal loopholes and dragging out proceedings to buy himself more time has served him quite well since he escaped from India.
It is important now that nations such as Antigua and Barbuda, which has been dealing with Choksi’s accusations and India, which Choksi has defrauded and outright looted, need to find ways to collaborate with other partners in the region to ensure that Choksi is brought to justice in India and has to answer for the damage he has done, not just in his country of origin but in the Caribbean as well.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
