International Experts Deliver Asset Recovery Training to the FCC and other National Agencies
On Monday, 23 February 2026, the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC), in collaboration with the International Centre for Asset Recovery (ICAR) of the Basel Institute on Governance, launched a training programme on “Financial Investigations and Asset Recovery” at the Holiday Inn Mauritius Mon Trésor. The two-week initiative brings together officers of the FCC and representatives of member institutions of the National Coordination Committee, with the aim of strengthening technical capacity in financial investigations and asset recovery.
The Solicitor-General, Mr R. Ramloll, attended as Chief Guest and officially opened the programme. In his address, he highlighted the growing complexity of financial crimes in an increasingly digital environment and stressed the importance of continuous capacity building. He underscored the need to master both investigative techniques and the legal framework governing confiscation of assets and mutual legal assistance, noting that coordination among institutions remains essential in responding to evolving criminal methods, including the use of crypto-assets.
The Acting Director-General of the FCC, Mr Titrudeo Dawoodarry, welcomed participants and emphasised that asset recovery must remain central to enforcement efforts. Referring to the fight against drug trafficking, he stated that more than 250 individuals have been arrested since the beginning of the year for drug-related offences. He further noted that around 30 to 35 traffickers are involved in the trade of hard drugs, stressing the need to strategically target these networks. According to him, enforcement must go beyond arrests and convictions to include the tracing, freezing and confiscation of criminal proceeds in order to dismantle organised networks and protect the integrity of Mauritius’ financial system.
Speaking on behalf of ICAR, Mr Tom Walugembe, Senior Specialist, Asset Recovery, thanked the Solicitor-General and the Acting Director-General for their support. He explained that the training follows a successful scoping mission in March 2025 and an earlier programme delivered in September 2025, after which a formal Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Basel Institute on Governance and the National Coordination Committee.
Mr Walugembe noted that Mauritius plays an increasingly important role as a regional financial centre and in the fight against financial crime. He pointed to the global threat posed by organised criminal groups, particularly drug trafficking networks, and stressed that removing the financial incentives behind such crimes is key. “If we do not take away their assets, they become more powerful,” he remarked, adding that effective asset recovery is about disempowering criminal enterprises.
He outlined ICAR’s practical training approach, which is based on a “learn by doing” methodology. Around half of the programme is centred on a simulated case involving more than 60 pieces of evidence. Participants work through the full cycle of a financial investigation, including opensource intelligence, analysis of bank records, tracing of assets including virtual assets, interviewing witnesses, and aspects of international cooperation. The training also brings together representatives from key institutions such as the Attorney-General’s Office, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Central Bank, the Police, the Mauritius Revenue Authority, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Gambling Regulatory Authority, reflecting ICAR’s emphasis on interagency collaboration.
Mr Emmanuel Jacob Mringo, Specialist, Asset Recovery at ICAR, is also serving as a resource person for the programme. With prior experience as an investigator and prosecutor at Tanzania’s Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau and later as a Legal Officer at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, he contributes practical expertise in financial investigations and training delivery.
The training forms part of the FCC’s broader efforts to enhance professional skills, strengthen institutional cooperation and ensure that Mauritius remains well equipped to investigate, prosecute and recover illicitly acquired assets in line with international best practice.