BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde has hailed the Indian government’s collaboration with Mauritius’ Financial Crime Commission (FCC) as a “wise and important decision” in the long battle against black money.
“In my opinion, the Government of India has taken an important and wise decision by holding a programme jointly with the Mauritius FCC for training officers with regard to illegal transfer of black money,” Justice Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge, told TNIE.
“There is a need to enlighten officers to identify such agencies. Through this process, officials can detect the flow of illicit funds and act decisively -- even alerting Indian authorities to take criminal action against offenders. This will be a major blow to those who indulge in such practices.”
His remarks came as the ED concluded a five-day capacity-building programme in Port Louis from September 22 to 26, for officers of Mauritius’ FCC. The training, led by ED Director Rahul Naveen and FCC Acting Director General Titrudev Daudari, was held under an MoU signed earlier in March.
The initiative carries special resonance for Karnataka, which has been one of the focal points in several probes involving illicit funds being funnelled through Mauritius-based shell entities.