The former Prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam was in the Supreme Court following the complaint, in which he claimed that the searches that were conducted at his house in February 2015 were unlawful. In addition to the Rs 220 million in valuables that the police took from his residence, he is asking for an order that the things be returned and a symbolic Rs 1 in damages.
Among other things, the Labour Party leader is asking the Supreme Court to declare illegal the search warrants issued by three magistrates, namely Shavina Jugnauth, Kadampanavasini Sockalingum-Juwaheer and Shefali Naika Gannoo, authorizing the police to search his homes at SSR Street in Port-Louis and River Walk in Vacoas in 2015, where Rs 220 million had been seized from his safes.
On Thursday, March 21, 2024, hearings on the defendants’ preliminary objections were planned. However, Me Ourveena Geereesha Topsy-Sonoo, Parliamentary Counsel, assisting Me Kritananda Naghee-Reddy, Assistant Solicitor General, representing the State, the CPR and the three police officers made a motion to amend their defence at the call of the case before Judges Shameen Hamuth-Laulloo and Karuna Gunesh-Balaghee.
One of Navin Ramgoolam’s solicitors, Senior Counsel Gavin Glover, was adamantly against the petition. He argued that the case had been initiated in 2015 and that the defendants had filed their defense in 2019. Making amendments in 2024, he said, is unacceptable, while taking into consideration that this is a constitutional complaint and must be heard as soon as possible. The case will be called before the Master and Registrar on May 7, 2024 to be set down for argument.
The Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID), consisting of sergeants Ramdoo, Seebaruth, and Constable Veder, along with three magistrates, Shavina Jugnauth, Kadampanavasini Sockalingum-Juwaheer, and Shefali Ganoo-Arekion, are all named in Navin Ramgoolam’s complaint. In the complaint, the latter are mentioned as defendants.
