The Director of Public Prosecutions has formally lodged a charge of embezzlement in a Rs 55 million affair and conspiracy against an Indian expat in Dubai and two Mauritian accountants.

The Attorney General, Rama Valayden, is appealing against the judgment given in favour of the former press attaché of Minister Anil Kumar Bachoo, Sudheer Maudhoo, who has obtained damages amounting to Rs 265,000 for defamation.

False denunciation
An inhabitant of Rivière du Rempart, Birmuttee Nundoo, was condemned by Magistrate Wendy Rangan sitting at the Intermediate Court to pay damages amounting to Rs 50,000 to Daramdeo Seedoyal for false and malicious denunciation.

Roger Pardayan de Boucherville, aged 79, prisoner at the Beau-Bassin Central Prison and expected for release on February 20, 2011, is facing new charges. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has lodged a new case  of money laundering against him.

Magistrate  Nadiyya Dauhoo sitting at the District Court of Port Louis has struck out all  the charges against Teeren Appasamy on Wednesday last week after Preesha Bissoonauthsing, the representative of the  Independant Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) indicated to the Court  that the  Crown Prosecution Office of London informed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that  it could not evaluate the state of health of the  accused. 

Sentence increased on appeal
The full bench of the  Appeal Court dismissed the appeal lodged  by Digbeejaye  Koonjul and  Ajay  Dooky contesting their  conviction by the Assizes Court for a term of imprisonment of 30  and  5  years respectively on the grounds that the  punishment imposed was  harsh and excessive  even for having killed with premeditation the Indian expatriate Mujeeb Mir.

Manan Fakhoo, who was answering charges under three counts of aggression, larceny with violence and possession of stolen goods before the Intermediate Court has been exculpated last week. 

Journalist Karishma Beeharee and her mother are claiming Rs 50 Million damages jointly and in solido from the  State of Mauritius and from the Commissioner of Police, Dan Iswar Ramparsad,  after they suffered a prejudice by police.

Employee pays damages 
A security guard employed by Special Security Guard Ltd. Rathoar Ambikaduth, will have to pay Rs 15,000 as damages to his employer for having left  his employment without giving prior notice and for failing to return to the company its property which was in his possession.

For the second time, the Privy Council will be in Mauritius, to hear five cases this April. The Council will sit at the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court.

This  week the Director of  Public Prosecutions (DPP) wrote to the Commissioner of Police, Dan Iswar Rampersad,  requesting the police  to initiate a new enquiry on Cindy Legallant,  following her refusal to testify in court.

Chady sues ICAC, CP
Nirendranath  Kumar Chady, a former municipal councillor of Quatre Bornes during two mandates, is claiming Rs 10 Million from Anil Kumar Ujodha, the Director General of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and from the Commissioner of Police, Dan Iswar Rampersad,  before the Supreme Court.

Cindy Legallant, the star witness in the police case against  Sada Curpen for importation of Subutex, has  refused to adduce evidence against  the accused and was  sentenced  by Magistrate Renuka Dabee to pay a fine of Rs 2,000 on Monday .

A non-suit  is an interlocutory judgment. There can be no appeal as such unless leave is previously obtained from the Supreme Court. This principle  has been confirmed by the  appeal Court  having on the bench the Chief Justice, Bernard Yeung SikYuen and Justice Saïd Bhaukaurally, in a ruling delivered last week.

Customs Officer convicted
Customs Officer Ambat Kumar Joymungul has been found guilty for soliciting a bribe  of Rs 200,000 from the directress of Divali Productions Ltd, Bassantee Egutsamy,  and convicted  to undergo one year penal servitude by the Intermediate Court.