Mauritius: The Asset Recovery Bill

The Asset Recovery Bill prescribes procedures to enable the State to recover assets, which are proceeds or instrumentalities of crime or terrorist property, where a person has been convicted of an offence, or where there has been no prosecution but it can be proved that the property represents proceeds or instrumentalities of unlawful activity or terrorist property. The Bill would apply not only to drug offences but also to offences committed in a foreign state, which, if committed in Mauritius, would constitute an offence punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of not less than 12 months. The Bill also makes provision for the establishment of an Enforcement Authority who will be the Director of Public Prosecutions.