Madagascar Tycoon Mamy Ravatomanga Detained In Mauritius Over Financial Fraud

Malagasy tycoon Mamy Ravatomanga has spent his first night in custody as a court weighs whether to move him to a tougher prison while he faces financial crime allegations. Ravatomanga, 56, was remanded Friday, Nov. 28, to the Moka Detention Centre outside Port Louis after his arrest in a Financial Crimes Commission investigation. He is being held on a provisional charge of criminal conspiracy, along with two provisional counts of money laundering, according to court filings and local reports. On Thursday, the commission asked a court in Port Louis to authorize his transfer to Beau-Bassin central prison, arguing the high-security facility is better suited to a potentially long spell in custody and to the handling of a sensitive case. Defense lawyers say such a move would endanger his health. At a hearing Friday, the court heard from his personal physician, Dr. Mamode Aniffkhan Yearoo, who outlined Ravatomangas medical history and warned that a transfer could worsen his condition. A senior prison official, Assistant Superintendent Alex Casimir, testified about what medical care is available behind bars and how emergencies are handled. Outside the courtroom, defense lawyer Siddhartha Hawoldar told reporters that doctors have judged his client unfit to attend court for now and too fragile to be moved to Beau-Bassin. Judges have yet to rule on the commissions transfer request or on the regime under which he will be held. A new hearing is set for Monday, Dec. 1. Until then, Ravatomanga remains at Moka Detention Centre under reinforced medical supervision. The facility is frequently used for high-profile detainees arrested in financial and political cases. Ravatomanga, a close ally of former Madagascar president Andry Rajoelina and owner of the Sodiat conglomerate, has long been seen as one of his countrys most powerful businessmen. Mauritian authorities have already frozen a large portfolio of assets and funds linked to him and his companies as part of a wider probe into suspected money laundering, with investigators citing transactions worth billions of Mauritian rupees. He is also named in an international inquiry into how several Boeing 777 aircraft were transferred to Irans Mahan Air in apparent violation of U.S. sanctions, after documents from Madagascars justice ministry linked him to the deal. The case has electrified politics in both Mauritius and Madagascar, where critics say it lays bare years of unchecked influence by a billionaire who straddled business and power. Supporters, meanwhile, argue he is being targeted for his political ties, ensuring that whatever the court decides Monday will reverberate far beyond the walls of Moka prison.