Mauritius police have issued an arrest warrant for former central bank governor Harvesh Kumar Seegolam in connection with a conspiracy to defraud case. Seegolam, currently abroad, will be detained upon his return. The police anti-money-laundering unit initiated the action following allegations by newly reinstated Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam that the previous government falsified GDP, budget deficit, and public debt figures for several years. Ramgoolam’s report also accused the central bank, under Seegolam, of printing money to fund the Mauritius Investment Corporation (MIC), established in 2020 to help Mauritian companies deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ramgoolam criticized the alleged act, describing it as irresponsible and claiming it harmed the monetary system. Ramgoolam, who previously served as the Mauritian prime minister on two occasions, was elected for a third term last month.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
