Mauritius: resignation of a minister after her husband’s arrest in a drug trafficking case

When questioned by the press, the head of government reminded that the minister enjoys the presumption of innocence. He also stated that there was no evidence at this stage to personally implicate her, while assessing that her withdrawal had become necessary to preserve the government.

On Friday, July 31, Navin Ramgoolam was still publicly supporting Véronique Leu-Govind. After her departure from the executive, the minister also stepped down from her position as president of the New Democrats, a minority partner party in the ruling alliance.

Véronique Leu-Govind is expected to be questioned soon by the anti-drug squad. Investigators are trying to establish whether she had information about her husband’s activities or if she played any role in this case.

An investigation conducted between Mauritius and Reunion

Gulshan Govind was presented on Monday before the Bambous court, where a provisional charge of drug trafficking was brought against him. Arrested three days earlier in Mauritius, he is suspected of being involved in an alleged attempt to import nearly 100 kilos of cannabis from Reunion.

The market value of the cargo is estimated at around 4.4 million euros. The proceedings initiated against him do not imply his guilt, which will need to be established during the investigation and any potential legal proceedings.

The Mauritian authorities are working in cooperation with their Reunion counterparts to trace the trajectory of the alleged merchandise. They are also trying to identify individuals who may be involved in this trafficking network and determine its scope.

This case comes at a time when the Mauritian government is facing the political repercussions of the arrest of a member of the executive’s spouse. The investigation continues to clarify the circumstances surrounding this alleged attempt to transport narcotics between the two islands.