Ramgoolam Case: Court Orders Partial Disclosure of Documents
In the case known as the "excessive payments" involving Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, a new development occurred this Thursday in front of the Financial Crimes Division (FCD). Judges Razia Jannoo-Jaunbocus and Abdool Raheem Tajoodeen delivered their decision regarding the disclosure motion requested by the Prime Minister's defense.
In their ruling, the judges ordered the disclosure of only two categories of documents:
• Relevant entries from the Diary Book, if they have not already been provided;
• Documents related to Mutual Legal Assistance.
All other disclosure requests were denied, as the Court deemed them irrelevant to the current trial.
The case is next scheduled for December 16, 2025.
It is important to note that the defense, represented by Senior Counsel Robin Ramburn, sought access to a wide range of documents related to the initiation and progress of the 2015 investigation. They particularly wanted the identity of the informant, any exchanges between political officials and investigators, as well as internal documents from the Central CID and other mentioned individuals.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Me Nataraj Muneesamy, argued that the legal obligation for disclosure had already been fully met in 2017 and that the new requests were "too broad, speculative," or involved information protected by public interest.
In this case, Navin Ramgoolam faces 23 charges related to cash payments exceeding the legal limit established by the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act (FIAMLA).
According to the indictment, between January 31, 2009, and February 7, 2015, he allegedly accepted a total of Rs 63.8 million in cash beyond the authorized limit, set at Rs 500,000 per transaction.
