PART V – CO-OPERATION AND JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE

21. Areas of co-operation and judicial assistance

(1) The State shall, subject to any other enactment and the Statute, co-operate with, and render assistance to, the International Criminal Court in relation to investigations and prosecutions in the following areas –

(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 III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

11. Foreign request for restraining order

(1) Where-

(a) a foreign State or an international criminal tribunal requests the Central Authority to obtain the issue of a restraining order against the proceeds of crime which are believed to be located in Mauritius; and
(b) proceedings relating to the proceeds of crime have commenced in the foreign State, or before the international criminal tribunal,
and there are reasonable grounds to believe that the proceeds of the crime are located in Mauritius, the Central Authority may apply to a Judge in Chambers for a restraining order under this section.

(2) Where, upon an application made under subsection (1), the Judge in Chambers is satisfied that the proceeds of crime are located in Mauritius, he may make a restraining order in respect of the proceeds of the crime, on such conditions as he may deem fit to impose, including any condition as to payment of debts, sale, transfer or disposal of any property.

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

13. Effect of registration of foreign confiscation order or foreign restraining order

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), where an order has been registered under section 12 and the Supreme Court is notified that it has been established to the satisfaction of a foreign court or international tribunal that the property or any part thereof constitutes the proceeds of crime of a serious offence or of an international tribunal offence, order that the property be confiscated and be vested in the State until such arrangement is made under section 19 by the Central Authority with the foreign State.

(2) The Court may make an order under subsection (1) on such conditions as it may deem fit to impose, including any condition as to payment of debts, sale, transfer or disposal of any property.

(3) Any person who claims to have an interest in property subject to an order registered under section 12 shall, within 21 days from the last publication of the registration under section 12, apply to the Court for an order under subsection (4).

(4) Where the Court is satisfied that the applicant under subsection (3) -

(a) was not in any way involved in the commission of the offence in respect of which the confiscation or restraining order was sought; and
(b) acquired the property without knowing, and in circumstances such as not to arouse a reasonable suspicion, that the property was, at the time of acquisition tainted property,
the Court shall make an order declaring the nature of the interest of the applicant.

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

15. Foreign request for the location of the proceeds of crime

(1) Where-

(a) a foreign State requests the Central Authority to assist in locating property believed to be the proceeds of a serious crime committed in that State; or
(b) an international criminal tribunal requests the Central Authority to assist in locating property believed to be the proceeds of an international criminal tribunal offence,

the Central Authority may apply to a Judge in Chambers for an order -

(i) that any information relevant to -
(A) identifying, locating or quantifying any property; or
(B) identifying or locating any document necessary for the transfer of any property,
belonging to, or in the possession or under the control of that person be delivered forthwith to the Central Authority; or

(ii) that a bank or financial institution forthwith produces to the Central Authority all information obtained by it about any business transaction relating to the property for such period before or after the date of the order as the Judge may direct.

(2) Notwithstanding section 26 of the Bank of Mauritius Act 2004, section 64 of the Banking Act 2004, section 33 of the Financial Services Development Act 2001 and section 6(7) and (8), a Judge in Chambers may grant an order under subsection (1) on being satisfied that -
[Amended 14/05]

(a) the document 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 authorises the granting of such an order in circumstances similar to the one relating to the request.

16. Enforcement of request for the location of the proceeds of crime

A Judge in Chambers may, on good cause shown by the Central Authority that a person is failing to comply with, is delaying or is otherwise obstructing an order made in accordance with section 15, order the Central Authority, or an officer authorised by the Central Authority, to enter and search the premises specified in the order and remove any document, material or other thing therein for the purposes of executing such order.