PORT LOUIS, Feb 17 – Former Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, has been granted bail after his arrest on money laundering charges, a magistrate at the Bail and Remand Court in Port Louis confirmed on Sunday.
Jugnauth was taken into custody following a raid by the state-run Financial Crimes Commission, which searched multiple locations, including his residence, and seized 114 million Mauritius rupees ($2.5 million). Authorities have accused him of financial misconduct, though he has denied the allegations through his lawyer, Raouf Gulbul.
As part of the bail conditions, Magistrate Rishan Chineah ordered Jugnauth not to interfere with witnesses, directly or indirectly. He is also prohibited from discussing the case with anyone except law enforcement officials or the court. Jugnauth is expected to complete the bail process when he reappears in court on Monday.
According to the charge sheet presented by the director of public prosecutions, Jugnauth has been provisionally charged with money laundering. His arrest comes at a time when Mauritius is increasing scrutiny over financial irregularities. In November, newly appointed Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam initiated an audit of public finances, raising concerns about data accuracy under the previous administration. More recently, the country’s former central bank governor was detained and later released on bail after being charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.
