Mamy Ravatomanga Saga: The Heavy Artillery of the Ravatomanga Clan Challenges the FCC Investigation
Mamy Ravatomanga Saga: The heavy artillery of the Ravatomanga clan is challenging the investigation by the Financial Crime Commission (FCC).
21 days after the Financial Crime Commission opened an investigation into the Mamy Ravatomanga saga, the Commission faces significant opposition from the local and international lawyers of the wealthy and influential Malagasy businessman, Mamy Ravatomanga.
In their defense strategy, the lawyers have deployed heavy artillery, contesting the legality of the FCC's investigation led by Tritudeo Sanjay Dawoodarry. This challenge could lead to a legal battle as early as this week.
In response to the defense line taken by Mamy Ravatomanga's lawyers, led by the duo Siddhartha Hawoldar and Hector Bernardini, operating in Paris and New York, the authorities – notably Attorney General Gavin Glover and the FCC – have defended the FCC's head, Sanjay Dawoodarry.
Mamy Ravatomanga's legal team, which has been under arrest since October 24 while at the Premium Care Clinic in Phoenix, is directly targeting the Acting Director of the FCC, Sanjay Dawoodarry, arguing that his contract expired on September 12. The lawyers claim that this investigation has no legal power: "His entire chain of command behind him has collapsed, any charges, prohibitions, arrests, Attachment Orders, all of these are illegal. The FCC proceedings against Mr. Ravatomanga are founded on illegality and must be struck down; we will seek an immediate legal declaration to that effect and the extension of all evidence obtained through this abuse of office," asserted leading counsel Me Siddhartha Hawoldar.
Glover-FCC Counterattack
In response to this attempt to discredit the FCC's investigation into the Ravatomanga saga, Attorney General Gavin Glover came to the institution's defense on Friday evening, clarifying the legality of Sanjay Dawoodarry's role: "He is legally the acting director of the FCC. When his first nine months ended last September, he was reappointed after two days for a second nine-month term. There was no renewal or extension of his contract, but he was given another contract," clarified AG Gavin Glover.
Against the onslaught from Mamy Ravatomanga's lawyers, the FCC issued a statement emphasizing that the President of the Republic reappointed Sanjay Dawoodarry as the Acting Director General of the FCC as of September 12, coinciding with the expiration of his first term.
On Friday evening, the Commission noted that at this stage of the investigation, no witness or suspect has made allegations against the Acting DG of the FCC, Sanjay Dawoodarry, during their respective testimonies in the presence of their lawyers.
This clarification dispels the statements made by Nasser Bheeky, who reiterated allegations against the FCC's acting director during his appearance in the Port-Louis court on October 29: "I am making accusations against several people. The name Sanjay Dawoodarry has been mentioned, and he is leading the investigation. I am afraid for my safety."
Mamy Ravatomanga Suffers from Heart Problems
Still hospitalized at the Premium Care Clinic, the wealthy Malagasy businessman Mamy Ravatomanga, aged 56, will, after his discharge, be transported from Phoenix to Réduit – unless major developments occur – where he will be interrogated regarding alleged money laundering cases amounting to Rs 7,316,116,760.97 spread across several bank accounts in the country. The medical fate of Mamy Ravatomanga currently depends on a panel of public health specialists monitoring the businessman, who is suffering from heart issues.
In addition to this alleged money laundering investigation, Mamy Ravatomanga, CEO of the Sodiat group in the Great Island, is also under another investigation by the FCC concerning his involvement in the rosewood case from June 2011, after the seizure in Port-Louis of five containers containing this precious wood from Madagascar destined for China.
Mamy Ravatomanga is also embroiled in a transaction related to the sale of five aircraft to Iran, a country under U.S. sanctions, an affair in which the involvement of the Malagasy businessman was reported this week at Réduit Triangle.
