Former Scotland Yard officers to assist Financial Crimes Commission in Rs 114 million case involving former Prime Minister Jugnauth
via Le Mauricien3 min read
The Financial Crimes Commission FCC investigation into Rs 114 million found in suitcases, implicating former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, will receive assistance from former Scotland Yard officers. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam confirmed this, stating that local authorities lack the necessary expertise for such cases. The three suitcases, seized during searches on February 14, 2025, contained Rs 114 million in foreign currency and rupees, along with seven ladies' wristwatches and documents in the names of former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and his wife, Kobita Jugnauth. The initial search at Chandradeo Oomah's home in Terre-Rouge on February 14, 2025, uncovered one suitcase with Rs 5.5 million, including Rs 3.3 million in Mauritian rupees and Rs 2.2 million in foreign currency, plus the watches and documents. Subsequent searches at Josian Laval Deelawon's home and office yielded two more suitcases and a bag containing approximately Rs 109 million. On February 15, 2025, Chandradeo Oomah, Josian Laval Deelawon, Devianee Nuckchady-Ramchurn, and Pravind Jugnauth were arrested on money laundering charges. All four were later released on bail after appearing in court between February 16 and February 20, 2025. Prime Minister Ramgoolam stated that due to the sensitive nature of the case, no further information on the ongoing investigation could be disclosed, but reiterated the need for external expertise, which the former Scotland Yard officers are now providing.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Mauricien.
Must ReadThe CCT Africa 2026 summit, a pan-African executive event for cloud, content, and telecoms, commenced in Mauritius, gathering 150 CEOs and senior executives from 88 organizations across 26 countries. Hosted by Mauritius Telecom for the fourth consecutive year, the summit reinforces Mauritius's growing role as a trusted meeting point for African leaders to forge partnerships and advance the continent's digital agenda. Mauritius was chosen for its stability, international connectivity, financial and investment capabilities, digital infrastructure, and institutional credibility, positioning it as a natural platform for high-level African dialogue and a bridge between African and Asian markets. The invitation-only summit focuses on developing digital infrastructure and connectivity, bringing together leaders from operator, service provider, cloud, data center, content, finance, and investment communities for direct exchanges. Its participatory format includes expert-led panels and structured networking, with dedicated working groups continuing throughout the year to transform dialogue into concrete initiatives. Rachel Jones, founder of CCT Events and the summit organizer, highlighted that the event, launched in 2023 with support from founding partners Angola Cables, WIOCC, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, has become a key reference for Africa's digital infrastructure ecosystem. Mauritius Telecom's role as host partner underscores its ambition to connect ecosystems across Afri
Local medical professionals in Mauritius are expressing concerns about the proposed legalization of cannabis, fearing a poorly structured implementation and a lack of adequate legal and social frameworks. They highlight Thailand's experience, which decriminalized cannabis in 2022 but announced intentions in 2024 to significantly tighten regulations, limiting its use to medical purposes due to public health concerns, youth access, rapid market growth, and regulatory control difficulties. The doctors, who include general practitioners and specialists from both public and private sectors, are currently anonymous but plan to voice their concerns publicly. They believe that a hasty legalization without robust regulatory frameworks could lead to increased consumption among young people, a rise in psychiatric disorders and addiction, increased pressure on emergency services and hospitals, a higher risk of traffic accidents, and difficulties in maintaining public order and security. They emphasize that Thailand's reversal, expected to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic requiring a medical prescription from 2025, is a recognition of the adverse effects of initial liberalization. The Mauritian medical community points out that cannabis consumption impairs attention, reaction time, judgment, and motor coordination, potentially exacerbating the country's already high number of fatal road accidents. They also note that Thailand's experience showed a significant increase in cannabis consump
Mauritius's headline inflation rate reached 4.1% for the twelve months ending June 2026, an increase from 2.9% recorded a year prior, according to data from Statistics Mauritius. This acceleration is attributed to rising costs across various everyday consumer goods, energy, and transportation. The Consumer Price Index CPI rose from 109.6 in March to 112.2 in June 2026, marking a 2.4% increase over three months. Significant price hikes were observed in bread, cooking oils, and other food items, alongside electricity tariffs, household gas, fuels, and international airfares. The "Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other Fuels" category saw a 6.6% increase, driven by a 14.4% rise in electricity tariffs and a 26.4% jump in household gas prices. Transportation costs also increased by 4.8% due to higher prices for gasoline, diesel, and taxi fares. These inflationary pressures were partially offset by decreases in the prices of vegetables, fruits, and private television subscriptions.