- Former Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth arrested for money laundering
- Jugnauth released on bail with strict conditions
- Arrest comes amid audit of public finances and corruption probe
A court in Mauritius has granted bail to former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth following his arrest on charges of money laundering, a magistrate confirmed.
Jugnauth was arrested on Sunday after detectives from the state-run Financial Crimes Commission conducted a search of his home, as well as other locations. The search led to the seizure of 114 million Mauritius rupees (approximately $2.5 million).
Rishan Chineah, the magistrate at the bail and remand court in the capital, Port Louis, issued several conditions for Jugnauth’s release. “He (Jugnauth) shall not interfere directly or indirectly with any witness or potential witness,” Chineah said on Sunday.
The magistrate also placed a communication restriction on Jugnauth, ordering that he must not discuss the case with anyone except for the authorities involved in the investigation or the court. Jugnauth is required to appear on Monday to complete the bail process.
Jugnauth’s lawyer, Raouf Gulbul, spoke to reporters, asserting that his client denies the charges. “My client denies the charges,” Gulbul said.
According to the director of public prosecution, Jugnauth has been provisionally charged with money laundering, as stated in the charge sheet presented to the court.
The arrest follows the announcement by Mauritius’ new Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, in November, that an audit of public finances would take place. This came shortly after Ramgoolam raised concerns over the accuracy of government data compiled under the previous administration.
In a related development, the former central bank governor of Mauritius was detained last month and released on bail after being charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.
Mauritius, an Indian Ocean archipelago, is known for its offshore financial services and positions itself as a key financial link between Africa and Asia.
(Note: The exchange rate used is $1 = 46.1700 Mauritius rupees.)
