The African state has established the framework for an agency slated to tackle financial, cyber and organised crime at an international standard of efficacy.
Mauritius is gearing up to open its National Crime Agency to tackle financial, cyber and organised crime across the country. The government of Mauritius announced the launch of the entity on Wednesday (16 September).
The agency will be established through the introduction of nine bills to the National Assembly, which will set up the institution as the lead investigative agency in the African state to deal with complex criminal issues. The government said it aimed for the agency to meet “international standards of expertise, capacity and operational effectiveness”.
Among its remit, the agency will handle the collection, processing and evaluating of intelligence linked to cyber, financial and other categories of serious and organised crime. Additionally, the agency will share its intelligence with other investigative entities, and deal with the recovery and management of assets related to criminal activities.
It will also arrest individuals either involved or reasonably suspected to be involved in the criminal activities under the mandate of the agency.
The National Crime Agency will also be tasked with disrupting and taking apart the financial infrastructure behind drug trafficking and distribution.
Additionally, the government confirmed that the agency would have the authority to take over an investigation from the police involving cyber, financial and serious, complex or organised crime.
The nine bills set to establish the agency are the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, the National Crime Agency Bill, the National Crime (Interim) Agency Bill, the Secretariat of the Independent Advisory Panel Bill, the Secretariat of the Independent Advisory (Interim) Panel Bill, the Financial Crime Bill, the Asset Recovery and Unexplained Wealth Bill, National Crime Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, and the Criminal Justice (Offenders Assisting Investigations and Prosecutions) Bill.
The launch of the National Crime Agency will also involve the repeal of the Financial Crimes Commission Act.
