Former Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has been arrested and is facing money laundering charges, the state-run Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) announced on Sunday morning.
Jugnauth "is under arrest," FCC spokesperson Ibrahim Rossaye told reporters, adding that he will be held at the Moka detention center, located in the Moka district at the center of Mauritius.
The arrest follows searches conducted by FCC detectives at various locations, including Jugnauth’s residence, during which they discovered and seized 114 million Mauritian rupees ($2.4 million), the FCC stated.
Jugnauth's lawyer, Raouf Gulbul, told reporters early Sunday that his client had been provisionally charged in an alleged money laundering case. Gulbul added that his client denies the allegations.
In November, newly appointed Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced an audit of public finances just days after questioning the accuracy of certain government data compiled by the previous administration.
Last month, the country’s former central bank governor was arrested and released on bail after being charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.
