The prime minister of Mauritius is suing authorities to recoup £3.2 million in cash seized by police who raided his safe.
Navin Ramgoolam, who has been at the heart of negotiations with the UK over the Chagos Islands, was arrested in 2014 on suspicion of conspiracy and money laundering after his surprise general election loss.
Police investigated whether he had asked a businessman to submit a false statement about a burglary that occurred at his beach property in 2011. He was also accused of receiving funds from foreigners seeking citizenship in Mauritius.
Mr Ramgoolam, who has been nicknamed “London Boy” in his home country for his links to the UK, was later released on bail and the charges were dropped.
He denied any wrongdoing and said the money was donated by his supporters and had been set aside for campaigning.
It comes as Mr Ramgoolam’s government tries to renegotiate a deal which would hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius, reportedly demanding £800m a year for as long as Britain wants to retain a lease on the Diego Garcia military base.
The Mauritian prime minister, 77, said he was suing police over the return of his money as it had been seized as a result of “unlawful, unreasonable, and illegal search warrants”.
Mr Ramgoolam claimed he was a victim of a campaign launched by his political opponents, accusing them of filing fabricated cases against him to prevent him reaching power again after losing in 2014.
Officers from Mauritius’s criminal investigation department launched multiple raids at his homes on Desforges Street, Port Louis and River-Walk in 2015, seizing Rs 220 million $4m in cash.
In addition to claims of corruption and fraud, Mr Ramgoolam was also accused of financially benefiting from the purchase of six Airbus aircrafts which formed part of the country’s national carrier fleet. These accusations were also later dropped.
The Chagos Islands has hosted a joint UK–US military base since the 1970s – Staff Sgt. Hannah Malone/Alamy
Following his arrest in 2014, Mr Ramgoolam’s UK bank accounts were shut down. He was dubbed “London Boy” by critics given that he worked as a doctor in Britain, where he also trained as a lawyer.
The arrest of a former prime minister is considered a rare event in Mauritius, a nation often hailed as one of Africa’s most stable democracies since gaining independence from Britain in 1968.
Shaukat Oozeer, his lawyer, told The Telegraph that the Rs 220 million seized from the home of his client had not been returned to the prime minister.
His legal bid had been due to be heard by the country’s Supreme Court on Jan 16 but has been postponed to the middle of February, Mr Oozeer added.
It comes as the UK and Mauritius continue negotiations over the future of the Chagos Islands, which has hosted a joint UK–US military base since the 1970s.
A deal was agreed by the previous government but Mr Ramgaloom’s government has attempted to renegotiate aspects of the deal since he returned to power last year.
The deal currently on the table would give Mauritius around £91m a year throughout a 99-year-long lease to keep the military base on the Indian Ocean island.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that the incoming US administration would be given a chance to reconsider the deal, which was originally negotiated under the Biden administration.
Donald Trump is said to oppose the deal, which he believes compromises US security. His team are concerned the deal would benefit China, which has expanded its influence in the region and has a trade deal with Mauritius.