Junaid Fakim Discusses the Meeting of October 14
Junaid Fakim, the former commissioner of the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC), was interrogated under caution before being arrested as part of an investigation targeting Malagasy businessman Mamy Ravatomanga. During this interrogation, Fakim made an official statement to the FCC, marking the first time he spoke about the meeting on October 14, 2025, in Quatre-Bornes, which involved Ravatomanga and led to a political-financial crisis. Fakim claimed he left the meeting upon realizing it might conflict with his duties and denied any attempts at influence.
The Ravatomanga case, which has shaken Mauritius, has evolved into a political-financial saga. After arriving on the island via private jet and subsequently being arrested for alleged money laundering involving billions of rupees, Ravatomanga has now emerged as a key figure in a second part of the investigation. Questions arise about whether he attempted to influence a member of the FCC.
At the heart of this matter is Me Junaid Fakim, who resigned from the FCC on October 25, 2025, and was interrogated under caution before his arrest on October 30, 2025. In his statement to the FCC, Fakim detailed how he ended up at this meeting, the nature of the discussions, and why he decided to leave. He emphasized his position at the FCC, stating, "I was appointed as Commissioner of the FCC by the President of the Republic on 5ᵗh August 2025 under section 7(3) of the FCC Act." He clarified that he served on a part-time basis and continued to practice as a barrister, as did other part-time commissioners before him.
On October 14, 2025, the meeting began with a phone call from his brother, Dr. Salim Fakim, informing him that a long-time family acquaintance, Nasser Bheeky, wanted to meet. Believing it to be a professional engagement, Fakim agreed to meet at Dr. Fakim's home.
Upon arrival, he found Nasser Bheeky and his brother already present. As the conversation commenced, a phone call to Bheeky changed the evening's trajectory. After disconnecting the call, Bheeky indicated he wanted to introduce them to a prominent businessman. Shortly after, Bheeky and Dr. Salim went outside, returning with three men, one of whom was Mamy Ravatomanga.
Fakim noted that discussions initially revolved around Ravatomanga's travel and media coverage. However, the atmosphere shifted when Ravatomanga mentioned "issues with Mauritian authorities." Fakim initially thought this referred to the Passport & Immigration Office, but then Ravatomanga raised concerns about the imminent freezing of his assets, prompting Fakim to realize that his attendance could pose a conflict of interest.
Fakim excused himself, left the room, and called the acting director of the FCC, Sanjay Dawoodarry, to verify if the FCC was aware of the Ravatomanga case. Upon confirming that the FCC was planning to take imminent action against Ravatomanga, Fakim decided to withdraw from the meeting to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
He also stated that he had no direct or indirect contact with Ravatomanga before or after the meeting and emphasized that Ravatomanga was neither arrested nor restricted at the time of their meeting. Fakim cited an official report confirming that Ravatomanga had been cleared by various systems before entering the country.
Fakim's resignation from the FCC was ethically motivated, as he stated, "I resigned from the FCC on the 25th October 2025, in order not to embarrass the FCC in its functions..." However, the FCC's version of Fakim's resignation only cites "personal reasons," leading to controversy. Within the FCC, there are accusations against Fakim for not disclosing this meeting and failing to declare his interests to the commission.
