Mauritius: Former PM faces money laundering charges

Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) – Former Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, arrested Friday evening, is still being detained by the Police who searched his two residences and found a few bags as well as a certain amount of money in foreign currencies, PANA learnt from police sources here.

Ramgoolam’s lawyer, Yousuf Mohamed, told the media that the Police will open the bags on Saturday.

According to him, his client could face two charges – that of complicity in the theft committed at his bungalow in the north of the island in July 2011 and secondly, that of money laundering.

The former PM will be presented to a the Bail and Remand Court in Port Louis Saturday where his lawyer will ask for his release on bail but the Police may object arguing that investigations are still on.

Several hundred people have followed Ramgoolam’s arrest and the search in his residence, first in the capital, then at River Walk, 25 km away from Port-Louis. A few of them threw some projectiles on him while he was being taken away to Line Barracks in a police vehicle.
-0- PANA NA/VAO 7Feb2015