Mauritius ex-minister, bank chief held in graft probe
Mauritius ex-finance minister Renganaden Padayachy and former governor of the Bank of Mauritius Harvesh Seegolam have been arrested over a case of alleged fraud, the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) said late Wednesday.
Police have been investigating alleged illegal disbursements of around a million dollars from an investment company wholly owned by the Bank of Mauritius -- Mauritius Investment Corporation -- to Menlo Parks ltd/Pulse Analytics, a polling company.
A director of the Mauritius Investment Corporation, according to daily Le Mauricien, claimed he was forced to make the payment on October 27 last year just prior to legislative elections, on the orders of Seegolam.
"Mr Renganaden Padayachy, former Minister of Finance and Mr Harvesh Kumar Seegolam, former Governor of the Bank of Mauritius, have been arrested," the FCC said in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement said they had been detained "in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Mauritius Investment Corporation (MIC) case... for the offence of fraud by abuse of position". It gave no further details.
Both men have previously denied any wrongdoing.
Seegolam was arrested and bailed in January, with Padayachy banned from leaving the country that same month and told by authorities he faced arrest if he attempted to do so.
A coalition led by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam won a comfortable election victory last year to mark his return to power in the Indian Ocean state after a decade in opposition.
The campaign was marked by economic and democratic concerns, as well as a phone-tapping scandal which undermined the ruling party's support.
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