STC’s Rs30 Billion Petroleum Contracts; Kareena Neisius Granted Bail

Kareena Neisius, the director of Mercantile & Maritime Group (MMG), has been granted bail following her arrest in connection with a high-stakes investigation by the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC). The FCC raised no objections to her release, amounting a cost of Rs 400,000, to be paid by cheque, alongside a signed acknowledgment of debt amounting to Rs 3 million.

Neisius appeared before the Rose-Hill court on Tuesday, 29 April, after being taken into custody the previous day during a lengthy interrogation “under warning” by the FCC.

Neisius faces a provisional charge of “Conspiracy to commit the offence of money laundering,” as the FCC delves into alleged irregularities surrounding the awarding of lucrative petroleum contracts totalling Rs 30 billion by the State Trading Corporation (STC) to MMG.

The investigation has unearthed what are deemed incriminating pieces of evidence, prompting serious scrutiny of the dealings between Neisius and Rajiv Servansingh, the former director general of the STC.

The contracts in question pertain to the supply of petrol, diesel, and Jet A1 fuel for the Mauritian market from August 2023 to July 2024.

This marks the first arrest in the ongoing FCC inquiry, which is probing potential conflicts of interest and collusion that may have favoured MMG in securing these contracts.

Following her arrest, Neisius experienced a medical emergency during her nine-hour interrogation, necessitating her transfer to Victoria Hospital in Candos via an ambulance.

As the investigation unfolds, the FCC is diligently working to uncover the full extent of the connections and possible misconduct that may have influenced the awarding of these substantial contracts.

Source: Defi Media