‘Unfortunate’ that Mehul Choksi was cleared by Indian officials: Antigua PM
NEW YORK: Fugitive billionaire Mehul Choksi is a "crook" and "adds no value to our country", said the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda where the diamond trader has taken citizenship. Antigua - among the many tax havens in the Caribbean - has no extradition treaty with India. The Prime Minister said that the businessman will be extradited to India, saying that it was Indian officials who gave him clearance initially.
"I can assure you that he will be ultimately deported after exhausting all his appeals. He will be extradited back to India to face whatever charges against him. It is just a matter of time," Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda told news agency ANI in New York.
Mehul Choksi - wanted in India in the Rs. 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank scam - was granted citizenship in the Caribbean nation in January 2018.
Mr Browne also said that it is "unfortunate" that Choksi was cleared by Indian officials as a person in "good standing" only to be told later that he is a "crook".
"In any case, our officials acted based on the information from India and made him a citizen... the Indian officials have to take the responsibility for that situation," the Antigua Prime Minister said.
"Got subsequent information that Mehul Choksi is a crook, he does not add value to our country. He will be deported ultimately after he exhausts appeals. Indian officials are free to investigate based on his willingness to participate," Mr Browne told ANI. "They can come and if they wish to interview Choksi based on his willingness to participate, it has nothing to do with my government," he added.
courtesy: ndtv.com
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Nigeria confirms at least 27 people died, more than 100 missing after boat capsized
Abuja (AP): At least 27 people died and more than 100, mostly women, were missing on Friday, after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities said.
About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighbouring state of Niger when it capsized, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu told The Associated Press.
Rescuers managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others, according to Sandra Musa, spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency services.
No survivor was found about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added.
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking but local media suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes.
According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who is in charge of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsizing for hours after Friday's tragedy struck.
Such deadly incidents are increasingly becoming a source of concern in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transportation.
Most of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance of the boats, often built locally to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures.
Also, authorities have not been able to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often because of lack of availability or cost.
