“The perception that the FCC targets only the ‘small fish’ no longer stands”

Titrudeo Sanjay Dawoodarry, Acting Director-General of the FCC

• “The FCC fears no one! Not wealth, not influence, and not whispered threats.”
• “We cannot object simply because public opinion demands it or because a case is high-profile.”
• “Current investigations involve assets valued at around Rs 32bn, with Rs 9.9bn already attached and secured”

“The law does not distinguish between the powerful and the powerless.” With public trust under strain and corruption cases increasingly politicised, Titrudeo Sanjay Dawoodarry, Acting Director-General of the Financial Crimes Commission, has drawn a clear line between legal process and public pressure. Confronting criticism over delays, bail decisions and unproven high-profile cases, he argues that justice cannot bend to opinion or expediency.

The fight against corruption is facing growing public impatience. Investigations, over the years, are seen as slow, arrests are often followed by bail, and high-profile cases do not always end in convictions. Speaking at the offices of the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) on International Anti-Corruption Day, Titrudeo Sanjay Dawoodarry, Acting Director-General of the FCC, acknowledged those concerns, while insisting that financial crime cannot be tackled by taking shortcuts.

“Fighting corruption is not just compliance; it is a moral imperative,” he said at the opening of the forum on “Fighting Corruption and Advancing Social Justice,” an event attended by President Dharambeer Gokhool, Director of Public Prosecutions Rashid Ahmine SC, and chief guest Professor Thuli Madonsela, former Public Prosecutor of South Africa.

For the Ag. Director-General, corruption strikes at the heart of trust in public institutions. It diverts public resources, entrenches inequality and weakens the foundations of a society that prides itself on fairness and opportunity. The FCC’s task, he said, is therefore not only to enforce the law but to help restore confidence.

That task, however, is proving difficult. Mauritius is no longer Africa’s top-ranked country on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Scores have remained largely unchanged in recent years, showing neither a clear improvement nor a sharp decline. Public expectations, by contrast, have continued to rise.

“These criticisms are heard,” Mr Dawoodarry said, referring to complaints about delays, bail decisions and the lack of convictions in major cases. “I want to address them openly and honestly.”

Why cases take time

For the FCC, cases take time because of the nature of modern financial crime. Unlike conventional offences, corruption and money-laundering cases often span borders and are deliberately designed to be difficult to unravel.

The Commission is currently handling more than 2,500 active cases with limited staff. Many involve complex financial structures, offshore accounts and layers of corporate entities created to hide the movement of money.

“Shell companies within shell companies. Offshore accounts feeding onshore transactions,” Mr Dawoodarry said. “This requires patience, persistence and precision. We cannot rush justice.” Investigations, he argued, must be built on solid evidence rather than speed, particularly when they are expected to survive court scrutiny and international review.

“The FCC is handling more than 2,500 cases with limited staff”

Bail and public perception

Few issues attract as much public criticism as the release of suspects on bail after arrest. The Ag. Director-General of the FCC sought to dispel the idea that this reflects institutional weakness or favouritism. “In our judicial system, release on bail after arrest is the rule; objection to release is the exception,” he said, pointing to the constraints imposed by the Bail Act.

The FCC can object to bail only when there is a clear legal risk, such as absconding, witness interference or evidence tampering. “We cannot object simply because public opinion demands it or because a case is high-profile,” he said, adding that arrest is an investigative step, not a declaration of guilt. “The law does not distinguish between the powerful and the powerless,” Mr Dawoodarry added.

Targeting serious financial crime

He also pushed back against the perception that the FCC focuses mainly on minor cases while avoiding more powerful interests. According to figures disclosed in his address, current investigations involve assets valued at around Rs 32bn, with Rs 9.9bn already attached and secured. The FCC has also returned Rs 15m directly to victims of financial crime.

“The perception that the FCC targets only the ‘small fish’ no longer stands,” he said. “Our investigations are guided by evidence alone. The FCC fears no one! Not wealth, not influence, and not whispered threats,” the Ag. Director-General stressed.

At the same time, he acknowledged that the institution has its weaknesses and that improving effectiveness remains an ongoing process.

Prevention and reform

The FCC’s role goes beyond investigations and arrests, he said. Preventing corruption requires stronger systems, better controls and early identification of risks.

The Commission has carried out Financial Crimes Prevention Reviews in public bodies, including an assessment of project management practices at the Central Water Authority, aimed at identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening internal governance.

It is also working with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Mauritius Police Force to close loopholes in the reward money system, an area vulnerable to abuse if left unchecked.

A key shift, he said, came with the Financial Crimes Commission Act 2023, which now makes the implementation of FCC directives and recommendations mandatory across the public sector, giving the institution stronger leverage to push for reform.

FATF pressure and global scrutiny

Mr Dawoodarry placed particular emphasis on the upcoming evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which will assess the effectiveness of Mauritius’ anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework. “The world is watching,” he said, warning that the credibility of Mauritius’ financial services sector and its standing as an international financial centre depend on the outcome. For the FCC, every investigation, asset seizure and partnership with other agencies feeds into that assessment, and into the broader question of whether Mauritius can convincingly demonstrate that it enforces its laws.

Following the money

The address also linked corruption and financial crime to the drug trade, which the Ag. Director-General described as a scourge that destroys families and corrodes institutions.

Working through the National Coordination Committee, the FCC collaborates with law enforcement agencies to trace and freeze assets linked to drug proceeds, targeting criminal networks by attacking their financial base.

The fight against drugs and financial crime, he said, depends less on isolated action than on sustained cooperation.

“The FCC returned Rs 15m directly to victims of financial crime” 

Sabotage of our future 

Mr Dawoodarry stressed that “corruption is not a victimless crime. It is theft from the poorest, betrayal of the vulnerable, and sabotage of our future.”

The fight against corruption, he argued, ultimately depends not only on institutions but on citizens choosing integrity as a civic responsibility; a message aimed as much at society at large as at enforcement agencies.