Police in Mauritius arrested the country’s former central bank governor on Friday in connection with an investigation into a case of conspiracy to defraud, as reported by local news media.
Last month, Mauritius police’s had issued an arrest warrant for Harvesh Kumar Seegolam over the case, without providing details. Seegolam was out of the country when the order was issued.
A police spokesperson confirmed the arrest but declined to give any details.
The ex-governor’s arrest is the first major move by the government of Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, who has said the previous government falsified the country’s gross domestic product, budget deficit and public debt figures for years.
In a report issued to parliament, Ramgoolam also accused the central bank of printing money to fund the government’s Mauritius Investment Corporation, set up in 2020 to help companies deal with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.