The police do not seem to be making any headway in their investigation into the hold-up and crime at the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) that took place on 11th February and where Rs 51 million have disappeared. Sotroojeetsing Sotrooghan, one of the main suspects who kept claiming his innocence, has been released on bail after the public prosecutor changed the provisional charge against him. He is now free and maintains he didn?t know what happened in the main vault of the MCB and that he returned his share of the loot ? the Rs 3 million that Jiawed Ruhumatally hid under a bridge in Réduit.

After paying Rs 30,000 as security and signing an acknowledgment of debt for Rs 100,000, Sotroojeetsing Sotrooghan has gone home. He has been bailed out because the charge against him ? initially murder ? has been changed to that of being an accomplice in the MCB hold-up. He says Jiawed Ruhumatally contacted him for a ?mission? and he didn?t know anything more about it. He just had to drive Jiawed Ruhumatally and Steve Monvoisin to the bank and back.

When Ruhumatally proposed him his share, he refused it as both his sister and his girlfriend didn?t want to keep it and because, he says, he heard that someone had been killed in this case. He also admits he met Monvoisin at Caudan Waterfront once. He also saw Laval Sambacaille with two other suspects the same day but he didn?t know who he was and what his role would be.

The police are still looking for this persistent offender as Ruhumatally and Monvoisin both said he took an active part in the hold up and crime and still has the Rs 48 million in his possession. So far, the police have been searching for him in vain and some investigators even think he may have already left the country.

During the week, the police also confronted the four main suspects ? Jiawed Ruhumatally, Steve Monvoisin, Sotroojeetsing Ruhumatally and Pooveden Subboroyan, known as Vinesen. The main bone of contention between them seems to be the existence and identity of the now famous ?Boss 007?. Ruhumatally says it is Vinesen and no executive of the bank, who is the brain behind the hold-up. But Vinesen is adamant that Ruhumatally and his brother threatened him.

In a nutshell, nearly two months after the bloody crime, each suspect continues to lay the responsibility of the crime at the other?s door. Another main suspect is still being looked for; the investigation is not progressing and the loot has still not been found.