NEW DELHI: Fugitive Indian diamantaire and PNB mortgage fraud scam accused Mehul Choksi has been declared a prohibited immigrant in Dominica. According to media stories, the Dominican authorities had on Thursday declared Choksi as a “prohibited immigrant” in their nation.
This new twist in Mehul Choksi’s case is prone to increase India’s effort to deport him again to the nation to face trial in the PNB scam case.
An order issued by the Ministry of National Security and Home Affairs that mentioned, “in accordance to section 5(1)(f) of the Immigration and Passport Act Chapter 18:01 of the 2017 Revised laws of the Commonwealth of Dominica, you, Mr Mehul Chinubhai Choksi, are hereby declared a prohibited immigrant.”
The order, dated May 25, 2021, signed by Dominican Minister Rayburn Blackmoore mentioned, “You are, therefore, not permitted to enter the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Chief of Police has been instructed to take all the necessary actions to have you repatriated.”
Meanwhile, the Dominica High Court has adjourned the bail listening to of fugitive diamond service provider Mehul Choksi until June 11, native media stories acknowledged.
Choksi had approached the excessive courtroom after the Justice of the Peace rejected his bail petition.
The bail listening to occurred earlier than excessive courtroom choose Wynante Adrien-Roberts by means of video-conferencing on the plea of Choksi’s native authorized group comprising Julien Prevost, Wayne Norde, Wayne Marsh and Cara Shillingford-Marsh.
The authorities facet represented by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Sherma Dalrymple “strongly objected” to Choksi’s plea calling him a flight danger, Dominica News Online reported.
The choose adjourned the matter until June 11, it mentioned. The excessive courtroom can also be listening to a separate matter of habeas corpus filed by Choksi’s group in which the listening to has additionally been adjourned.
Choksi had mysteriously gone lacking on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda the place he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen.
He was detained in neighbouring island nation Dominica for unlawful entry after a attainable romantic escapade together with his rumoured girlfriend.
His attorneys alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen trying like Antiguan and Indian and dropped at Dominica on a ship.
The businessman was additionally introduced earlier than a Roseau Justice of the Peace on the orders of excessive courtroom choose Bernie Stephenson, listening to the habeas corpus matter, to reply fees of unlawful entry the place he pleaded not responsible however was denied bail.
