Seizure of assets - national procedures for ICC proceedings

Mauritius

Mauritius - ICC Act 2011 EN

PART V - CO-OPERATION AND JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE

21. Areas of co-operation and judicial assistance

(1)

(k) the identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of international crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and

PART VI – OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

32. Request for enforcement of fine or forfeiture order

(1) Where the Attorney-General receives a request from the International Criminal Court for the enforcement of a fine or any order for forfeiture in Mauritius, he shall lodge with the Master and Registrar or present a certified copy of the order if where he is satisfied that the order is not subject to any review or appeal and that the request is supported by –
(a) a concise statement of the purpose of the request, and the assistance sought, including the legal basis and the ground for the request;
(b) as much information as possible about the location or identification of any person or place that shall be found in order for the assistance sought to be provided;
(c) a concise statement of the essential facts underlying the request;
(d) the reasons for and details of any procedure or requirement to be followed;
(e) such information as may be required by the law of Mauritius in order to execute the request; and
(f) any other information that is available and may be relevant in the
circumstances.

(2) The Master and Registrar with whom a certified copy of a request order is lodged under subsection (1) shall register such order in respect of the persons or items specified therein

PART VI - OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

34. Registration of sentence or compensatory order

(1) Where the Attorney-General receives a request from the International Criminal Court for assistance in Mauritius to recover a fine to which a person has been sentenced in criminal proceedings in the International Criminal Court, or for the execution of an order for the payment of compensation for damages to any person made in such proceedings, he shall ascertain that –
(a) the sentence or order is final and not subject to review or appeal ;
(b) the person on whom the sentence was imposed or against whom the order was made, had the opportunity of defending himself ;
(c) the sentence or order cannot be satisfied in full except by confiscating and realising property; and
(d) the person concerned holds property in Mauritius.

(2) On being satisfied of the requirements of under subsection (1), the Attorney- General shall lodge with the Clerk of a Court in Mauritius having jurisdiction or the Master and Registrar, as the case may be, a certified copy of the document confirming the sentence or order.

(3) The Clerk of the Court or the Master and Registrar, as the case may be, shall forthwith give written notice of the registration of the sentence or order to the person on whom it was imposed or against whom it was made or who has effective control over the relevant property in Mauritius

Mauritius - Mutual Assistance Act 2003 EN

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

6. Procedure for an evidence-gathering order or a search warrant

(9) Notwithstanding section 26 of the Bank of Mauritius Act 2004, section 64 of the Banking Act 2004 and section 33 of the Financial Services Development Act 2001 and subsections (7) and (8), a Judge in Chambers hearing a request from a foreign State or an international criminal tribunal may grant an evidence-gathering order or search warrant against the Bank of Mauritius, a bank or financial institution where he is satisfied that -

(a) the information is material and necessary to the proceedings in the foreign State or before the international criminal tribunal ; and
(b) the law of the foreign State permits the disclosure of information to foreign States in circumstances similar to the one relating to the request.

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

12. Foreign request for enforcement of foreign restraining order or confiscation

(1) Notwithstanding any other enactment, where a foreign State, or an international criminal tribunal, requests that necessary measures be taken for the enforcement of -

(a) a foreign restraining order ; or
(b) a foreign confiscation order,
the Central Authority may apply to the Supreme Court for registration of the order.

(2) The Supreme Court shall register the foreign restraining order where it is satisfied that, at the time of registration, the order is in force in the foreign State or before the international criminal tribunal.

(3) The Supreme Court shall register the foreign confiscation order where it is satisfied that -

(a) at the time of registration, the order is in force in the foreign State, or before the international criminal tribunal ; and

(b) in the case of a person who did not appear in the proceedings in the foreign State, or before the international criminal tribunal -

(i) the person was given notice of the proceedings in sufficient time to enable him to defend himself ; or
(ii) the person had absconded, or died before such notice could be given.

(4) For the purposes of subsections (2) and (3), a statement contained in the foreign request to the effect that -

(a) the foreign restraining or confiscation order is in force in the foreign State, or before the international criminal tribunal ; or
(b) the person who is the subject of the order was given notice of the proceedings in sufficient time to enable him to defend himself, or had absconded, or died before such notice could be given,
shall be prima facie evidence of the fact, without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed the foreign request.

(5) Where a foreign restraining order or foreign confiscation order is registered in accordance with this section, a copy of any amendment made to the order in the foreign State, or before the international criminal tribunal, shall be registered in the same way as the order.

(6) Notice of the registration of any foreign confiscation order or foreign restraining order, shall be published in the Gazette and 2 daily newspapers, one of which shall be specified by the Supreme Court.

(7) Subject to subsection (9), where the foreign restraining order, or foreign confiscation order, comprises a facsimile copy of a duly authenticated foreign order, or amendment made to such an order, the facsimile shall be regarded for the purposes of this Act, as the duly authenticated foreign order.

(8) Any registration effected upon production of a facsimile shall cease to have effect up to the end of the period of 14 days commencing on the date of registration, unless a duly authenticated original of the order is registered by that time.

(9) Where a foreign restraining order, or foreign confiscation order, has been registered pursuant to this section, section 13 shall apply to such registration.

(10) A foreign restraining order shall stay in force until the determination of the proceedings in the foreign State, or by the international criminal tribunal.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and