Not only Mehul Choksi, 28 other Indians may have bought Antigua citizenship

NEW DELHI: Antigua and Barbuda granting citizenship to absconding Indian businessman Mehul Choksi has snowballed into a political controversy with opposition parties in the Caribbean nation demanding answers from PM Gaston Browne.

Data analysed by TOI showed that since 2014, 28 Indians had applied for citizenship of Antigua, home to cricketers Viv Richards and Andy Roberts. Government sources here said they would investigate who these 28 Indians were.

Seven of them were granted Antiguan nationality between January 1 and June 30, 2017, upon investment of $200,000, according to the half yearly report of the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), which comes under Antigua's ministry of finance and corporate governance and public private partnerships. It did not have details on the status of the other applicants.

The country allows dual citizenship to any foreigner if he/she invests in the National Development Fund (NDF), purchases government-approved real estate or invests in a pre-approved business.

TOI analysed the sixmonthly report of CIU, available on the Antigua and Barbuda government website.

It showed that Indians accounted for 2.5% of the 1,121 citizenship requests since the inception of this programme. The list is dominated by Chinese with 478 applications. An Antiguan passport allows visa-free access to 132 countries and freedom from extradition.

While Choksi was granted citizenship in November 2017, the names of Indians or people of other nationalities getting citizenship were not mentioned in the report. TOI's email to CIU went unanswered.

Meanwhile, Antiguabased The Daily Observer reported that opposition parties had demanded answers from the government.

Giselle Isaac, chairman of the main opposition United Progressive Party, was quoted as saying that the matter was a major concern for her party. She called Prime Minister Browne's silence "frightening".

Meanwhile, chief of staff in Browne's office Lionel 'Max' Hurst was reported as saying that although there was no extradition treaty between India and Antigua, the island nation would make every effort within the law to honour a "legitimate" request from India. The Choksi matter was reportedly discussed in a cabinet meeting.