The former prime minister of Mauritius is released on bail for money laundering charges

After being arrested on suspicion of money laundering, former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth was released on bail by a Mauritius court, according to a court magistrate.

Detectives from the state-run Financial Crimes Commission searched Jugnauth’s home and other sites on Sunday, finding and seizing 114 million Mauritius rupees ($2.5 million). Jugnauth was then taken into custody.

“He (Jugnauth) shall not interfere directly or indirectly with any witness or potential witness,” issued the magistrate Rishan Chineah on Sunday at the capital’s bail and remand court in Port Louis.

In addition, the magistrate ordered Jugnauth to appear on Monday to finalize the bail procedure and prohibited him from discussing the issue with anybody other than the court or the investigating agencies.

Raouf Gulbul, Jugnauth’s attorney, informed reporters that his client disputed the accusations.

According to a charge sheet presented to the court by the director of public prosecution, Jugnauth was charged with money laundering provisionally.

Days after casting doubt on the veracity of some official statistics gathered by the previous administration, Mauritius’ new prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, announced an audit of the country’s finances in November.

The former head of the nation’s central bank was arrested and released on bail last month after being accused of conspiring to commit fraud.

Mauritius, an offshore financial hub that positions itself as a bridge connecting Africa and Asia, is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean.