Dominica PM Roosevelt Skerrit calls claims of hatching plot to bring Choksi 'total nonsense'

NEW DELHI: Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that his government's hands are clean with regard to the 'mysterious' arrival of fugitive Indian businessman Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, to the Caribbean island nationon, local media reported.

According to Dominica News Online, Skerrit has labelled the claims of hatching a plot with the governments of Antigua and India as "total nonsense".

"To say that the government of Dominica and the government of Antigua along with India colluded in any way, give me a break, that's total nonsense. We don't get ourselves involved in those kinds of activities, those practices, not at all. I mean, that is absurd and we reject it and it is unfortunate that anybody would want to propagate this unsubstantiated claim by a gentleman who is before the courts," he contended.

Skerrit further vowed that his government will evenly apply the law irrespective of who is accused of committing crime.

He said that such was the case with the Iranian born, Dominican citizenship holder and diplomat, Alireza Zibahalat Monfared, who was wanted by the Iranian government for allegedly embezzling billions of dollars while the country evaded international oil sanctions. Monfared was arrested in the Dominican Republic in 2017 following a lengthy international manhunt.

"You saw all this talk about Monfared. Had he stayed in Dominica at the time that the Iranian government had asked for him, we would have apprehended him," Skerrit stated, adding "There was a discussion and a decision to apprehend him so that the Iranian authorities could present to us the charges. Mr Monfared was a Dominican citizen but we hold a brief to the international law, our responsibilities and our obligations." (IANS)

Also Read: Mehul Choksi's lawyers seek Caricom intervention in his alleged kidnapping

Also Watch: