MAURITIUS DPP Appeals ‘Manifestly Inadequate’ Sentences in Bramer Bank Fraud and Money Laundering Case

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED

• In a significant escalation of one of Mauritius’s most prominent financial crime prosecutions, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has
• Filed a formal appeal to the Supreme Court challenging the sentences imposed on four convicts
• In the Rs 80 million fraud and money laundering scheme that severely impacted the former Bramer Banking Corporation.
• The appeal was lodged on 22 April 2026, just days after Magistrate Abdool Raheem Tajoodeen of the Intermediate Court’s Financial Crimes Division delivered the sentences on 17 April 2026.
• The DPP, Senior Counsel Rashid Ahmine, argues that the penalties are
• “Manifestly inadequate and unduly lenient” and
• Fail to match the gravity, organisation and long-term harm caused by the 2011 scheme.

BACKGROUND

• The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has appealed to the Supreme Court against the sentences imposed on the four convicts in the fraud and money-laundering case involving about Rs 80 million to the detriment of the former Bramer Banking Corporation. The DPP is challenging sentences deemed “manifestly inadequate and unduly lenient”, in view of the seriousness, scope and circumstances of the case.
• At the heart of the appeal are several specific grievances.
• The DPP
• Considers that the court of first instance did not correctly apply the principles of deterrence and proportionality, given the scheme's level of organisation and the financial harm caused to the bank and its offshore customers.
• Also criticises the court for having given excessive importance to the identification of a “mastermind”, to the detriment of the extensive involvement of the defendants in the fraudulent scheme.
• Considers that the partial reimbursement made by one of the defendants was overstated in the overall assessment of the sentence.
• The four convicts all pleaded guilty to money-laundering offences under sections 3, 6, and 8 of the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2002.
• Darmendra Mulloo,
• Chandra Prakashsingh Dip,
• Sheikh Mohammed Khadafi Jany, and
• Muhammad Saif Ullah Maulaboksh
• The facts date back to 2011,
• When illicit transfers were made from offshore accounts to local companies as part of a structured scheme to conceal the origin of the funds.
• The DPP maintains that
• These sanctions do not reflect the extent of the misappropriation or the degree of planning involved.

NOT GUILTY PLEA

• The case also remains incomplete,
• with Younousse Kotoaroo, a former bank executive, separately prosecuted on 43 counts and continuing to plead not guilty.
• The outcome of this appeal could redefine the judicial response to large-scale financial crimes.

SENTENCING

Detailed sentencing by Magistrate Tajoodeen took into account the guilty pleas and the long delay since the offences, but the DPP argues this resulted in disproportionate leniency:

• Darmendra Mulloo faced 156 counts involving over Rs 18.5 million. He was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment (reduced for the guilty plea) and fines totalling Rs 5,056,000.
• Chandra Prakashsingh Dip (son of former Police Commissioner Anil Kumar Dip) was involved in 15 counts and received approximately Rs 3.5 million (including cheques from Yeschem Ltd totalling Rs 1.415 million). He repaid Rs 1.9 million to the bank’s liquidator and was sentenced to fines totalling Rs 1,330,000 with no prison time.
• Sheikh Mohammed Khadafi Jany faced two counts (totalling around Rs 432,000) and received fines totalling Rs 125,000.
• Muhammad Saif Ullah Maulaboksh, who benefited from more than Rs 25 million (specifically around Rs 34.7 million across 16 counts), received the longest custodial sentence: 18 months’ imprisonment plus fines of Rs 1,580,000.

DPP

• The DPP’s core objections are threefold.
• First, the court allegedly failed to give sufficient weight to the principles of deterrence and proportionality, given the sophisticated, organised nature of the fraud and the massive harm inflicted on the bank and its offshore clients.
• Second, excessive focus was placed on identifying a single “mastermind” rather than recognising the collective and extensive involvement of all four defendants in the scheme. Third, the partial reimbursement by Chandra Dip was given undue importance in the overall sentencing calculus.

CONCLUSION

• Legal observers note that the appeal could set important precedents for how Mauritian courts handle large-scale financial crimes, especially in the post-Bramer era when public confidence in the banking sector remains sensitive.
• The case against former Bramer executive Younousse Kotoaroo, who faces 43 separate charges and continues to plead not guilty, remains entirely separate and ongoing.
• This development underscores the DPP’s commitment to ensuring that sentences for sophisticated money laundering reflect the full scale of the harm and serve as a genuine deterrent in future cases.

Sources for Cut and Paste (full original articles):

1. https://newsmoris.com/dpp-appeals-lenient-sentences-in-rs-80-million-theft-from-bramer-bank/
2. https://www.lemauricien.com/le-mauricien/affaire-dip-fraude-de-rs-80-millions-a-la-bramer-le-dpp-compte-interjeter-appel-contre-les-sentences-prononcees/705173/
3. https://defimedia.info/fraude-de-rs-80-m-le-dpp-fait-appel-et-reproche-la-cour-un-poids-excessif-accorde-au-remboursement
4. https://lexpress.mu/s/le-dpp-conteste-la-clemence-des-peines-et-saisit-la-cour-supreme-556973
5. Sentencing background: https://newsmoris.com/chandra-dip-fined-rs-1330000-following-his-fraudulent-transaction-at-bramer-bank/
6. Pre-sentencing context: http://www.comsuregroup.com/news/mauritius-verdict-looms-in-rs-80-million-bramer-bank-fraud-will-justice-be-served-after-15-years/

This appeal keeps the spotlight on accountability in Mauritius’s financial sector more than 15 years after the original transactions. Updates will be posted as the Supreme Court process unfolds.