
Businessman and lawyer Shaan Kundomal has been detained in Dubai for seven nights following allegations of embezzlement. He was arrested on June 26 at Dubai Airport while attempting to board a flight to Istanbul with his wife and assistant. The two women were not detained. The case stems from a complaint by a British national residing in the UAE, described as an influential figure who held positions within the Executive Office of Dubai's ruling Al Maktoum family. The British national accuses Kundomal of embezzling USD 3 million, approximately Rs 144 million, related to an investment. Kundomal, director of Capital Horizons Ltd, recently rebranded as Aurevya Wealth Ltd, and head of Gulf Management Services, is being held at the Bur Dubai police station. He appeared in court earlier this week but was not granted release and remains in custody as investigations continue. UAE authorities are known for their strict handling of financial offenses, and suspects can be detained during the initial investigation phase, particularly for serious offenses or if there is a flight risk. Information released to the public in such cases is typically limited to maintain the integrity of investigations. Kundomal benefits from the presumption of innocence, as the accusations against him remain allegations at this stage.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Mauricien.

Export Oriented Enterprises experienced a loss of 2,453 jobs between March 2025 and March 2026, reducing the workforce from 30,105 to 27,652 employees, an 8.1% decrease over one year. Mauritian workers were most affected, with 1,621 jobs lost, including 1,197 held by women and 424 by men. The number of foreign workers decreased by 832 positions, comprising 603 men and 229 women. Job cuts were concentrated in clothing manufacturing, which lost 1,403 jobs, and the food industry, with 576 positions eliminated. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the sector saw a decline of 572 jobs, a 2% decrease, with the workforce falling from 28,224 to 27,652. This reduction was due to 801 job eliminations resulting from workforce reductions in some companies and the closure of others. Regarding exports, EOE companies achieved 9.3 billion rupees in the first quarter of 2026. This represents a 14.6% decrease compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 but a slight 0.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The United Kingdom, South Africa, the United States, Spain, and France remain the main export markets, accounting for nearly 67% of the sector's sales. While exports to Spain and the United Kingdom increased from the previous quarter, they significantly declined to the United States and South Africa. Over one year, sales to the United States showed a strong rebound of 54.1%.
Must ReadPrime Minister Navin Ramgoolam responded to Joanna B茅renger of the Militant Progressive Front regarding the State Partnership Program with the New Mexico National Guard and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement with the United States. Ramgoolam assured that no military bases are planned. He highlighted Mauritius's significant maritime security challenges as a small island developing state, including illegal fishing, drug trafficking, organized transnational crime, irregular migration, piracy, climate change impacts, and the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, which exceed its limited resources. Ramgoolam stated that no Western Indian Ocean country can effectively address these challenges in isolation, and Mauritius consistently pursues a policy of strengthening bilateral, regional, and international partnerships to enhance its maritime security, law enforcement, and disaster response capabilities. He detailed cooperation with countries like India, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and organizations such as the European Union, INTERPOL, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime through joint exercises, capacity building, information sharing, maritime domain awareness initiatives, technical assistance, and training programs. The State Partnership Program, signed on May 22, 2026, aims to establish a lasting institutional partnership based on professional exchanges, technical cooperation, and capacity building, without creating legal or fin

The trial of Mariia Peresolkina, a 28-year-old Ukrainian woman accused of importing dangerous drugs with an averment of trafficking, resumed on June 30, 2026. Inspector Bsomi, during cross-examination by Peresolkina's lawyer Me Shameer Hussenboccus, admitted to significant flaws in the police investigation. Bsomi confirmed that John Mick Martingale, whose suspicious death in Beau-Bassin prison in 2024 is under judicial inquiry, was part of an international drug network. Martingale, Peresolkina, and Olega Levina were arrested at SSR Airport on October 29, 2022, after two bottles of liquid synthetic drug were found in Peresolkina's luggage. However, Martingale's first statement was recorded only five months later. Inspector Bsomi conceded that nothing in Martingale's statements incriminated Peresolkina. He also admitted that the contents of Martingale's laptop were not analyzed by the police's IT Unit, citing a flat battery as the reason, and that he did not pursue this lead despite Martingale being suspected of international drug transactions using cryptocurrency. Bsomi was also contradicted regarding his knowledge of Katerina Kononova, a Ukrainian national in Mauritius, who had booked flights for Martingale, Peresolkina, and Levina from Brussels to Mauritius. Bsomi admitted he did not investigate Kononova, who lived in Flic-en-Flac. Kononova's Mauritian husband, Kevin 脡douard, reportedly died of an overdose one month after Martingale's death. Martingale was found hanged in hi