The Antigua citizenship of diamond trader Mehul Chokshi — wanted in India in the Rs 13,500-crore Punjab National Bank scam — will be scrapped once he has exhausted all his legal options, the government of the island nation has said.
According to a report in the Antigua Observer, the revocation of citizenship will pave the way for his extradition to India to stand trial in the case.
Antigua — among the many tax havens in the Caribbean — has no extradition treaty with India.
But Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has made it clear that his country will not provide “safe harbour for criminals, for those who are involved in financial crimes”.
“Choksi’s citizenship was processed, he got through. We do have recourse, the reality is that his citizenship will be revoked and he will be deported to India,” the Antigua Observer reported Prime Minister Brown as saying.
Mehul Choksi skipped India in January last year. Six months later, it became known that he had taken Antigua citizenship.
