Mehul Choksi granted citizenship of Antigua 2 weeks before CBI filed case: Report

Mehul Choksi

Mehul Choski, one of the prime accused in the Rs 14,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, reportedly took oath of Antiguan citizenship on January 15.

According to Mint, he was granted citizenship an entire fortnight before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its first case against the alleged fraudster.

The report claimed that the Gitanjali gems promoter may have been aware of the CBI’s intentions beforehand.

In November 2017, the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) of Antigua had written a letter to a local newspaper about Choksi being granted full citizenship. The CIU said it had provided citizenship after conducting a "robust internal investigation".

The report pointed out that Choksi was provided citizenship despite the CIU’s rules mandating that a person would be ineligible for Antiguan citizenship if he “is the subject of a criminal investigation”, “is a potential national security risk to Antigua and Barbuda or to any other country” or “is involved in any activity likely to cause disrepute to Antigua and Barbuda.”

Currently, the Interpol is yet to issue a red corner notice (RCN) against Choksi, who is free to travel to 132 countries on his Antiguan passport, including the UK and the European Union.