Mehul Choksi's Brother Paid Dominican Leader To Spread Fake News: Report

Indian-born fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi's brother, who is also a bank defaulter, has allegedly promised election funding to Dominica's Leader of the Opposition Lennox Linton in exchange for pushing Mehul Choksi's abduction theory, Associates Times reported, citing sources.

According to news agency ANI, the sources said Chetan Chinubhai Choksi had met Lennox Linton on May 30, where they discussed several aspects related to Mehul Choksi's arrest and the latter agreed to press the matter in Parliament.

They also confirmed to Associates Times that Chetan Chinubhai Choksi disclosed during the conversation that Mehul Choksi had reached Dominica on his own, but they require the assistance of the opposition to tackle the matter in court and against the Dominica government to make them believe that he was abducted by Antiguan and Indian police.

Sources said Chetan Chinubhai Choksi gave Lennox Linton token money of USD 200,000 and promised him more than a million-dollar of financial assistance in the upcoming general elections, in exchange Lennox Linton would issue statements favouring Mehul Choksi.

Associates Times reported that Lennox Linton, who had remained silent on the matter, has aggressively attacked the government after the meeting with Mehul Choksi's brother.

It also reported that the Dominican Leader of Opposition has a long history of taking money from people for delivering unauthorized promises. Al Jazeera reported that in 2019, Lennox Linton had promised a diplomatic passport to some investor in exchange for election funds amounting of about USD 200,000.

In October 2017, Lennox Linton also allegedly supported the separation propaganda of Brahim Ghali, who is facing critical criminal charges in the National Court of Spain. This image of the leader has raised questions on his instant stand in favour of Mehul Choksi, who is wanted for fraud charges in India.

However, in an exclusive interview with ANI, Lennox Linton denied the allegations, claiming that he has never known or met Chetan Choksi.

"I don't know Chetan Choksi, I have never seen Chetan Choksi. I've never spoken to or with Chetan Choksi, I think there is an online story coming from a publication called Something times, I've never seen this website. I think this publication must be associated with passport selling friends of some of these governments in the region," he told ANI.

He also said the report was a 'total lie' and there was absolutely no truth to it, adding that he had no private residence in Marigot, as it was blown away by a hurricane and that he was not even present in Marigot on May 30, as suggested by Associates Times.

"I have not received any money from anybody in exchange for favours or as a result of things that have done or not done or promised to do or not do," he said.

Calling the report an 'absolute garbage', Lennox Linton said the political opposition in Dominica had no contacts with Mehul Choksi, his agents, or his associates.

"We have not met with Mehul Choksi and his associate and not even his family members. We don't know them. There is absolutely no arrangement for them to for any funding for the campaigning or anything there is no such arrangement. This is absolutely false..," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)