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Rs250 Million ‘Reward’ Case: Police Officer Deal Suspended & Back in Custody
Leading police officer Lilram Deal, who has been suspended from his duties, has been taken back into police custody as investigations continue. Under pressure from the judiciary, Deal appeared before the Financial Crimes Division on Thursday, 3rd July. He had briefly been hospitalized due to health issues before the hearing.
Deal’s troubles have worsened. Once head of the Counter Terrorism Unit at the Prime Minister’s Office, he is now faceing a serious threat to his career.
An Interdiction Order has been issued against him, suspending his duties and stripping him of his rank benefits. His early retirement is now in doubt.
This development comes at a critical time for Deal, who had hoped to be released on bail after two weeks in Vacoas Detention Centre.
However, the court has yet to decide on his request. The case is highlighting growing suspicions about how Reward Money—funds allocated to police for rewarding informants and officers involved in successful operations, especially against drug trafficking—is managed.
Since his bail request was denied by the Port-Louis court, Deal has been uncooperative during questioning.
Citing health problems, he has repeatedly invoked the Official Secrets Act to avoid answering sensitive questions.
He has also refused to explain the Rs 4.5 million credited to his personal account in May 2022, shortly after police seized drugs worth an estimated Rs 3.3 billion on land owned by the Gurroby family in the north of the country.
The core issue is the lack of transparency in the reward system, which is supposed to recognize exceptional contributions to fighting crime.
When misused, this system can lead to favoritism, conflicts of interest, and even laundering of public funds.
As the investigation advances, the forthcoming days will prove to be pivotal, impacting not only Lilram Deal but also the integrity of his network within the police force.
Source: l’Express
