Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi acquired citizenship without any legal hurdle because India did not provide any “adverse information” regarding him, the government of Antigua, a Caribbean country has said.
“The Police clearance certificate from the Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs Regional Passport Office, Mumbai, certified that there was no adverse information against Mr Mehul Chinubhai Choksi which would render him ineligible for grant of travel facilities including visa for Antigua and Barbuda,” said Citizenship by Investment Unit of Antigua. The Ministry of External Affairs is yet to comment on the revelation by the Antiguan authorities.
Antigua & Barbuda runs a Citizenship by Investment Unit (CUI), which allows foreigners to acquire citizenship rights in this eastern Caribbean country which allows a person to acquire citizenship in exchange of investment. According to the information from the government of Antigua, the passport of this tiny country is one of the best travel documents as it allows the citizens to enjoy visa free travel to nearly 132 countries, including the UK and the Schengen area.
Mr. Choksi is co-accused in the Nirav Modi banking scam involving several public sector banks. He acquired Antiguan citizenship last November. His left India along with his nephew Mr Modi in January and has ever since reportedly travelled across the world. It is understood that he travelled using the Antiguan passport. MEA revoked his passport in February.
Antigua maintained that Mr Choksi’s application for Citizenship for Investment programme was subjected to “stringent background checks” but “in no instance any derogatory information disclosed on the applicant.”