Antigua Commissioner of police rejects allegations of bribery in Mehul Choksi case
Atlee Rodney, the commissioner of police, has “categorically” refuted allegations of any wrongdoing on the part of a senior police official in relation to the current inquiries into Indian native Mehul Choksi, who is sought in his home country on suspicion of fraud-related offenses.
An Antigua and Barbuda citizen born in India was granted EC$10,000 bail by a Dominica High Court judge in July 2021 so that he may go to St. John’s for medical care.
In late May 2021, Choksi, 64, entered a not guilty plea on the charge of illegally entering Dominica, arguing that he had been abducted in Antigua and transported to Roseau on May 23.
The Indian judicial authorities are seeking Choksi on charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, fraud, including the conveyance of property, corruption, and money laundering.
Following the publication of an article by internet blogger Kenneth Rijock in the Economist Times of India on January 13, in which certain allegations against a senior member of the police force and a magistrate had been made, the Commissioner of Police made a statement denying the claims of misconduct in the investigations.
It is quite regrettable that Mr. Kenneth Rijock, without first verifying the facts, made various false remarks against the Antigua and Barbuda Police Force in reference to Mr. Mehul Choksi on his internet blog, according to Rodney.
The police in this country have no desire and, in any case, no authority to help Choksi evade extradition from Antigua and Barbuda, as claimed by Rijock. According to Rodney, “the entire blog is false with inadequate or no research of the facts and has a malicious purpose and ought not to have been posted.”
The Police Commissioner explained that an extradition order was issued in accordance with a Commonwealth Treaty, which governs the extradition of wanted individuals, in response to INTERPOL issuing a Red Notice stating that Choksi is sought by Indian law enforcement authorities and a request to the Attorney-General for his extradition.
Choksi then contested his extradition in court, delaying extradition as a result.
According to Rodney, Antigua and Barbuda is a democratic country where the rule of law is upheld. based on the nation’s Constitution.
Choksi is entitled to a court hearing, and only the court may formally order his extradition. Because of his legal interventions, his case is still pending before the courts.
According to Rijock, Choksi and the senior police officer he named “had been meeting” in restaurants.
However, according to the Police Commissioner’s statement, Choksi and the senior police officer had “only two engagements” and that “both engagements occurred around August 2021 and June 2022 during an investigation, where Mr. Choksi claimed he was kidnapped from Antigua and transported to Dominica against his will.”
Furthermore, contrary to what Mr. Rijock alleges, the two interviews were held at Mr. Choksi’s office, located upstairs in the same building as the restaurant, in the presence of his lawyer, according to the statement.
For colluding with the senior police officer “to obstruct INTERPOL’s efforts to detain Mr. Choksi for extradition to India,” Rijock also mentioned a magistrate in his essay.
But according to the Police Commissioner, the only link between the two “in this affair was to get a warrant, urging INTERPOL to issue a Red Notice for three foreign suspects, who Mr. Choksi believes were involved in his purported kidnapping. INTERPOL authorized and issued such Red Notices.
“It is quite disappointing that Mr. Rijock has included judges and law enforcement authorities in claims of bribery by Mr. Choksi, without giving any proof whatsoever, obviously to prolong his extradition to India,” Rodney added.
In the meantime, Choksi’s attorneys have filed a letter to High Court Registrar Mrs. Cecile Hill distancing their client from the claims made by Rijock in his newspaper piece.
“Given that this material is completely false and substantially defamatory, we felt it was necessary to bring it to the Court’s attention. The piece has received numerous references and appeared in worldwide news outlets.
“The false and defamatory piece has a clear and significant potential to damage the justice system in Antigua and Barbuda, both at home and abroad, given the widespread reach of the re-publications. In a letter that was copied to the Police Commissioner as well, the attorneys stated that “it clearly runs the risk of dragging the administration of the Antiguan legal system into discredit on a purely false premise.”
“Of course, our client has utmost faith in the fairness and independence of the Antiguan judicial system. However, accusations of this sort can be seen as maliciously intended to sway the ongoing legal processes in this case. The fact that these slanderous claims are being made while a judgment is still pending is especially nasty, according to the attorneys.
