After being accused of murder, Marie Elodie Desirella Paul, also known as ‘Matifi’, is now being charged of money laundering. Aged 22, she has been arrested by the police on the 14th July in the context of the murder of Jean Desveaux Augustin. She appeared in court on the next day under provisional charges of money laundering for an amount of Rs 1,7 million. It is said that after the presumed ‘boss’ of a local drug network was imprisoned, Marie Elodie Desirella Paul was responsible to keep the business running. Jean Desveaux Augustin, a Rodriguan who’s last residing address was at Residence Florida in Baie Du Tombeau, had been kidnapped and beaten to death in the evening on 10th June. Aged 57, he was found severely wounded in a house at Karo Kaliptis in Roche Bois. He died shortly after, and the autopsy revealed that he died due to hemorrhagic shock. Very quickly, the police found out that the victim was assaulted following gangland killing on drug trafficking background. Several people were arrested thereafter. One of the suspects arrested in this case confessed to the police that he was paid to assault the victim.
Jean Desveaux Augustin, aged 57, once lived at Pointe Coton Rodrigues. After he was kidnapped, illegally confined, and beaten up, one of his friends, an eyewitness of the kidnapping, then called the police who came in the house and took the victim to the hospital. A few days later, Shayne Wong, aged 27, an inhabitant of Riche Terre, constituted himself prisoner and was conveyed on the spot for a reconstruction of the facts. The young man, who at first denied any implication in this matter, later confessed to the police that he had received a sum of Rs 300 000 to assault Jean Desveaux Augustin. But it is clear that there is something bigger behind the murder of the victim, as millions of rupees are involved. After Shayne Wong, Eric Jean Baptiste, aged 26 and residing at Terre Rouge was also arrested. It seems that the ‘boss’ who in in prison had accused Jean Desveaux Augustin of cheating and stealing several millions of rupees. The body of Jean Desveaux Augustin was repatriated to Rodrigues for his burials on the 22nd of June. The police is now convinced that this murder is related to drug trafficking.
