Mauritius PM Demands Return of £3.2 Million Seized by Police
The Prime Minister of Mauritius is suing police for £3.2 million seized during a raid on his safe amid ongoing Chagos Islands negotiations.
Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, Chagos Islands, Police Raid, Corruption
Port Louis: So, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, is in a bit of a pickle. He’s suing the police to get back £3.2 million that they seized from his safe during a raid. Can you believe that?
This all goes back to 2014 when he lost a surprise election and got arrested on some serious charges like conspiracy and money laundering. It was a wild time, and he was accused of asking a businessman to lie about a burglary at his beach house. Plus, there were whispers about him taking money from foreigners wanting citizenship.
Even though he was released on bail and the charges were dropped, he’s been fighting back, saying the cash was just donations from his supporters for his campaign. He’s got a lot on his plate, especially with the ongoing talks with the UK about the Chagos Islands.
Now, he’s claiming that the police seized his money based on “unlawful” search warrants. He feels like he’s being targeted by his political rivals, who he says are trying to keep him from getting back into power.
Back in 2015, police raided his homes and took a whopping Rs 220 million, which is about $4 million. They even accused him of benefiting from some Airbus purchases for the national airline, but those charges were also dropped.
It’s pretty rare for a former prime minister to get arrested in Mauritius, a country known for its stable democracy. His lawyer mentioned that the money still hasn’t been returned, and they were supposed to have a court hearing about it, but it got pushed back.
Meanwhile, the UK and Mauritius are still trying to figure out what to do with the Chagos Islands, which have been home to a UK-US military base since the 70s. Ramgoolam’s government is looking to renegotiate a deal that would give them a better financial arrangement for the base.
It’s a complicated situation, especially with the US administration possibly reconsidering the deal. There’s a lot of back and forth, and it seems like Ramgoolam has his work cut out for him.