Menlo Park: Rama Sithanen Hit With $19.55M Claim at Bank of Mauritius

The Menlo Park affair has taken a sharper legal turn this week, with both Rama Sithanen and his son Tevin Sithanen facing separate but connected proceedings that could have serious consequences for the former central bank governor and his family.

On one front, Rama Sithanen, who served as Governor of the Bank of Mauritius, has been named in a formal legal claim, known in Mauritian legal practice as a mise en demeure, demanding 19.55 million US dollars from the Bank of Mauritius. The claim is linked to the Menlo Park case, though the full details of the legal basis for the demand have not yet been made public.

On a parallel front, the criminal investigation into Tevin Sithanen, Rama's son, is now complete. At the Curepipe District Court on Thursday, Inspector Seebaluck, representing the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID), confirmed that the inquiry had been concluded. The case file is currently being reviewed by senior officers before being forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the independent authority that decides whether to bring formal charges in criminal matters. That transfer is expected within two to three weeks. The case has been adjourned to 9 December.

Tevin Sithanen faces a provisional charge of violating the Information and Communication Technologies Act (ICT Act), Mauritius's main law governing digital communications and online conduct. The charge follows the circulation of an audio recording in which a voice attributed to him allegedly made threats against Aditi Boolell and Stephane Adam, both of whom hold leadership positions at Menlo Park. At this stage, the charge remains provisional, meaning no formal prosecution has been confirmed pending the DPP's decision.

Menlo Park is a financial services company at the centre of a broader controversy involving allegations of misconduct, regulatory questions, and now criminal and civil proceedings touching figures from Mauritius's financial establishment.

The CCID is a specialised unit within the Mauritius Police Force that handles complex financial and commercial crime investigations. The DPP's office operates independently and is responsible for determining whether evidence gathered during an investigation is sufficient to proceed to trial.

What this means: Rama Sithanen's exposure to a claim worth nearly 20 million US dollars, made directly to the institution he once led, signals an escalation of the civil dimensions of the Menlo Park case. Meanwhile, the DPP's upcoming decision on Tevin Sithanen will be a critical moment. If the DPP advises prosecution, Tevin could face formal charges under the ICT Act, which carries penalties including fines and imprisonment. The fact that both proceedings involve members of the same family, in relation to the same underlying affair, makes this one of the most closely watched legal developments in Mauritius this year.

Source: ION News