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Senior Police Officer, Jagai, Arrested Over Alleged £1.3 Million Fraud Scheme
A senior Mauritian police officer has been arrested on corruption charges after allegedly authorising fraudulent payments exceeding Rs 86 million (£1.3 million) in public funds. Ashik Jagai, a former superintendent and head of the now-defunct Police Headquarters Special Striking Team (PHQSST), was detained the August 13 on provisional charges of abusing his office for financial gain under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA) 2002 and the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) Act.
Key Allegations
Investigators accuse Jagai of three major offences:
- November 2022: Allegedly approving a fraudulent Rs 7 million (£107,000) reward claim submitted by Sergeant 2130 Hossen, despite knowing the claim was illegitimate.
- August 2022 – February 2024: Recommending payments of Rs 65.9 million (£1 million), of which Rs 62.7 million (£960,000) were allegedly unjustified.
- April – September 2024: Approving Rs 17.3 million rupees (£265,000) in rewards, with investigators claiming only Rs 292,300 (£4,500) were legitimate.
Wider Police Corruption Probe
The arrest is part of a sweeping investigation into Rs 250 million (£3.8 million) in suspicious reward payments within the police force. Last week, Sergeant Hossen was also arrested after Rs 83.19 million (£1.27 million) was traced to his personal account.
Court Appearance & Further Arrests
Jagai was held overnight at Coromandel Police Station and is expected in Port Louis South Court today. Meanwhile, his superior, Assistant Commissioner Dunraz Gangadin, remains in custody amid claims Rs 160.4 million (£2.45 million) passed through his account.
Several other officers, including ACP Lilram Deal and ASP Faraaz Moniaruth, have been arrested and released on bail in connection with the case.
Unanswered Questions
The FCC is still investigating whether the funds were actually paid to informants—or diverted elsewhere. A former SST officer claimed this week he never received rewards for informants, despite leading operations based on their tips.
The case has raised serious concerns over financial oversight prior to November 2024 within Mauritius’ police force , with more arrests expected as the probe continues.
Source: l’Express
