Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP) says the Chocksi Scandal has dragged Antigua and Barbuda’s name in the mud once again under the ABLP Administration.
Leader of the United Political Party, Harold Lovell, in his electrifying presentation held virtually last evening and streamed lived on the MY UPP page says, the latest CIP scandal involving Indian national Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in his country for alleged fraud has placed Antigua and Barbuda in a badlight internationally.
This he says has further damaged the country’s “tainted” reputation under the Antigua and Barbuda labour party administration.
” Once again Once again, the Antigua Labour Party has brought Antigua and Barbuda into the Doldrums.
They have put this country on the map for all the wrong reasons”.
Choksi, who obtained citizenship in 2017 through the CIP, is now entagled in legal battles to avoid extradition to his home country, India, to face fraud charges.
According to Lovell the manner in which the due diligence has been undertaken has always raised an eyebrow.
The former Finance Minister stated that back in 2018 when the Choksi story broke, the UPP had faulted the due-diligence exercise carried out on him.
” Now I want everybody to know that when this story broke in 2018 and the whole alleged fraud with Choksi came out, we were always concerned about the undue haste in which he was granted citizenship. we were concerned about the apparent lack of due diligence especially coming just before the 2018 general elections”.
Lovell says, Antigua and Barbuda deserves better governance one that depicts integrity, honesty and accountability not a government that allows the name of Antigua and Barbuda to be brought into disrepute, as is now the case.
The experienced and long serving Politician aslo mentioned during his fiery and forceful presentation that he is horrified by this latest embarrassment which affects all Antiguans and Barbudans.
” I am appalled by what is taking place in this country with this choksi scandal, I have no hesitation in saying that what happened in Antigua Antigua and Barbuda where the man say they time his up, what you call it, the duct tape over his mouth, put him in a wheel chair, put him in a boat, bang him, taser him torture him, O lord knife, that could not have happened without the knowledge of political directorate of Antigua and Barbuda”.
A few weeks ago during the regular Cabinet meetings, Information Minister The Honourable Melford Nicholas says that, at the time when the process was being carried out there was nothing about Choksi that had been flagged by the Indian authorities.
