Lennox Linton and Glenroy Cuffy Say Govt Is Complicit In Mehul Choksi Case

Barbara 1st June, 2021

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UWP’s Lennox Linton and Glenroy “Soso” Cuffy are accusing the Dominican government of complicity in the detention and possible repatriation of Indian fugitive Mehul Choksi to India. Linton is calling on the international community to investigate the level of culpability of the DLP government’s involvement in Choksi’s case to ensure that the constitutional rights of Choksi are not violated and that the image of Dominica is not soiled.

The opposition leader said the circumstances surrounding Choksi’s arrival and detention in Dominica suggest connivance of the Skerrit-led administration with the governments of Antigua and Barbuda and India. He said Choksi was subjected to inhuman treatments and even tortured on the possible instructions of the three governments in a manner that will paint Dominica in bad light. He alleged that PM Rooselvelt Skerrit’s “obvious collaboration” with Antigua and India undermined the judiciary of Eastern Caribbean.

Given Choksi’s claims that he was unceremoniously kidnapped from Antigua and Antigua’s PM Gaston Browne’s request that he be repatriated from Dominica directly back to India, Linton claimed that the DLP government may have been involved in the “abduction and smuggling of criminally accused economic citizens across international borders.” Linton said the Skerrit-led government must retrace its steps to salvage the image and dignity of Dominica as an independent nation.

Further to his argument, Linton said the ship that brought Choksi to Dominica belonged to St. Lucia, but was cleared by customs to leave for St. Lucia despite making a false declaration to the authorities. He added that two other Indians on the ship were taken into quarantine but Choksi was put into police custody in a suspicious manner. He said the police later charged the Indian fugitive with illegal entry.

Linton also said the High Court Judge Bernie Stephenson put a gag order on Dominican lawyers representing Choksi and ordered them never to speak to the media pending the conclusion of the case; while the authorities at the Douglas Charles Airport prevented everyone from taking pictures of the Qatar-owned Bombardier Global 5000 jet parked at the airport to repatriate Choksi to India. The plane was reportedly sent by the Indian government with court documentation to bring the fugitive back to the country.

Glenroy Cuffy, a 2019 UWP contestant for the Roseau Central District, said the silence of Skerrit over the whole Choksi affair speaks volumes. He said the prime minister is known for speaking on a wide range of current issues, but his current silence underscores the fact that the Dominican government is working in collaboration with Antigua and India to nail Choksi for diplomatic gains.