Share

Agliotti denies Mauritius political, drugs scandal

Glenn Agliotti says newspaper reports in Mauritius linking him to drug busts in that country are "bull****" and he's going to sue for defamation. 

An article in the Mauritian daily L’Express on Friday drew a connection between Agliotti and the owner of a boat that was to be used in transporting 140kg of cannabis from Reunion Island.

In June, the boat was recovered at the seaside village of Flic-en-Flac on the west coast of Mauritius. Several politically connected individuals have been questioned by authorities. 

The newspaper report says investigations have stalled and no arrests have been made in connection with the bust. It also raises questions about a probe into a record seizure of 95kg of cocaine which occurs in Les Pailles (Port Louis) in July.

 

Media in Mauritius have also been speculating for several days about whether Agliotti has fled the country where he has been living for the past few years, after questions were asked in Parliament there about his status and political connections. 

In 2006, Agliotti pleaded guilty to drug smuggling in South Africa and received a suspended sentence. He was also acquitted of murder in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for orchestrating the assisted suicide of mining magnate Brett Kebble. He testified against former police commissioner Jackie Selebi in his corruption trial, admitting to bribing the former top cop. 

Recent controversy in Mauritius around Agliotti

Agliotti has been the source of much controversy in Mauritius over the past weeks, which has seen the Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth being asked questions about his status in the country.

Agliotti and his wife Lelani have officially been living on the island since 2018. 

Agliotti obtained a spousal residence permit from the Passport and Immigration Office, despite having been convicted of drug trafficking in South Africa. His application was on the basis of his wife having received a permanent occupancy permit early last year. 

The Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate (PMSD) political party's deputy leader Adrien Duval asked the Jugnauth in the National Assembly last week, "He was convicted of drug trafficking and admitted to bribing a police chief. Is he hiding in Mauritius?" 

Lelani Agliotti is reportedly registered as an investor after applying for an occupation permit in October 2017. Her company is listed under the 'Style by Bella' label and specializes in fashion and design.

Newspapers on the island, such as the Mauritius Times, have been speculating for the past few days about how the Agliottis have disappeared 'into the wilderness' and have not been able to track them down at their home or registered business. 

'False f***ing allegations' 

Speaking to News24 on the phone on Friday, Agliotti denied the media reports that he is linked to drug busts in Mauritius or that he had fled the country.

Agliotti was currently in Johannesburg with his family for the school holidays and as well as for his follow-up brain operation, he said. 

"It's baseless. There's no evidence. I'm not even connected. I've been there, done it. These are false f***ing allegations in the press. I'm suing them for defamation in Mauritius.

"It's bull**** man. I've never met the guy. There's no connection," he insisted.

Agliotti has offered to return back to Mauritius early to assist the police with their investigation.

GET THE NEWS at your fingertips and download the News24 app for Android here now. Get it for your iPhone here.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
What is a non-negotiable when considering the election manifestos from various parties?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
A solid plan for load shedding
15% - 443 votes
Bold climate change objectives
1% - 30 votes
Roadmap for economic recovery
51% - 1533 votes
Solutions to SA's crime crisis
33% - 977 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.00
-0.5%
Rand - Pound
23.95
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.51
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.5%
Platinum
895.30
-0.2%
Palladium
991.47
-1.0%
Gold
2,196.11
+0.1%
Silver
24.46
-0.8%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,818
+0.2%
All Share
74,028
+0.2%
Resource 10
56,225
+1.0%
Industrial 25
103,464
+0.2%
Financial 15
16,455
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE