Africa-Press – Mauritius. A Conversation on the theme ‘Fighting Corruption and other Financial Crimes – Advancing Social Justice’, with the participation of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mauritius, Mr Abdool Rashid Ahmine, and Professor Thulisile Madonsela, Law Trust Chair in Social Justice, Law Professor and Former Public Protector of South Africa, was held this morning at the Financial Crimes Commission’s (FCC) Headquarters, in Moka.
This event was organised to mark the International Anti-Corruption Day 2025 under the theme “Koripsion? Non mersi!”. The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Dharam Gokhool, graced the event. On that occasion, FCC’s bulletin, detailing the scope and impact of FCC’s work in combatting financial crimes was released.
In his keynote address, the President qualified the event as yet another laudable initiative to deepen the national conversation on integrity, social justice and the respective responsibility to protect the Republic. According to Mr Gokhool, speaking openly about corruption will weaken it, while learning from global experts will strengthen the country’s capacities and align our institutions on the path of accelerated progress.
Corruption is not just a crime, but a betrayal of trust and stealing from the poor that weakens institutions and distorts the moral contract that binds a Nation together, he said. He also added that fighting corruption is not simply a legal obligation, but a governance and social justice imperative for the well-being and welfare of the people.
“When corruption grows, inequality and injustice grow, whilst when integrity grows, institutional governance, transparency and accountability become stronger, and the legitimacy of Government improves”, he observed.
Referring to the evolution of financial crimes, President Gokhool recalled that the country’s institutions, human resources, and technologies must evolve faster, underlining the need to continue to reinforce the ecosystem on investigation, supervision and enforcement. The FCC and its partners, form a coordinated shield against money laundering, illicit frauds and emerging financial crimes to make Mauritius a safer jurisdiction for investors and fairer environment for citizens, he pointed out.
On his part, the Acting Director-General of the FCC, Mr Titrudeo Dawoodarry, said that fighting corruption is a moral imperative to restoring trust in institutions. It is important to ensure that public resources serve the common good, and building a society where merit prevails over connections, transparency over opacity, and where accountability is not negotiable, he said.
Financial crimes investigations are intricate, painstaking and demand irrefutable evidence, indicating that the FCC is currently managing 2,500 active cases, he added.
Mr Dawoodarry also pointed out that the Conversation demands an honest assessment, decisive actions, and measurable progress,while underpinning the strength of collective effort to chart a path forward to ensure that Mauritius embodies credibility, accountability, good governance and a strong safeguard against financial crimes.
