Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Port Louis District Court, presided over by Magistrate Shaheen Daureeawoo, on Thursday refused to issue a Variation Order that would have allowed former Finance Minister Renganaden Padayachy to travel abroad for a week to attend a seminar in France.
Padayachy is currently facing two counts of “fraud by abuse of position.” He is accused of authorizing the disbursement of Rs 45 million from the Mauritius Investment Corporation (MIC) to Menlo Park Ltd. Released on bail in April, he remains bound by a court-imposed restriction that prevents him from leaving the country.
The former minister is also alleged to have approved a second payment of Rs 300 million to the Apavou Group, again at the expense of the MIC. His counsel, Senior Attorney Raouf Gulbul, filed a motion last Tuesday requesting authorization for his client to travel between October 26 and November 11, 2025, via Dubai, to attend a seminar organized by the Fondation pour les Études et Recherches sur le Développement International (FERDI), where Padayachy serves as a Senior Fellow.
In her ruling, Magistrate Daureeawoo upheld the objection raised by the prosecution, which argued that there was no absolute necessity for Padayachy’s physical presence at the event, as participation could be done virtually. The court also considered concerns from the Anti-Money Laundering Unit (AMLU) of the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID), which expressed apprehension that Padayachy, who holds dual Mauritian-French nationality, might abscond.
The case has been adjourned to February 18, 2026. Following the hearing, Me Gulbul stated that “it is high time for the authorities to file a formal charge against my client, as it is unfair to keep him under restriction on a provisional charge for such a long period.”
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