Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said in the Assembly that the government would seek the intervention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to secure the release of Ryan de Souza, who was sentenced to 517 years in jail by a Dubai court in April for his alleged involvement in a $200 million Ponzi scheme.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I can’t decide on the matter. It depends on exact facts of the case, though I have sympathy for him. The case has been decided by the Dubai court. I will meet the Minister for External Affairs when I visit Delhi, around August 7 or 8,” Mr. Parrikar said in response to a question raised by Thivim MLA Nilkanth Halarnkar.
Mr. Parrikar said the country’s warm relations with Dubai should help in resolving the matter.
A resident of Siolim village in North Goa, de Souza (27) was arrested while he was attempting to leave the Emirate. He was an employee of Lemos Foundation run by Sydney Lemos, the alleged mastermind of the scam who was also convicted by the Dubai court. In a sustained social media campaign, Goans have been pleading with Ms. Swaraj and Mr. Parrikar to intervene to get de Souza released.
ADVERTISEMENT
Opposition leader Chandrakant Kavlekar and Nationalist Congress Party MLA Churchill Alemao also joined the plea to the government.