Port Louis, Feb 7 (IANS): Just one month and three weeks after losing the election in Mauritius, former prime minister Navin Ramgoolam was arrested for involvement in cases of conspiracy and money laundering, Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.

It is the first time that a Mauritian prime minister has been sent to jail.

The arrest Friday of Ramgoolam, a person of Indian origin, was initially in connection with an inquiry into a burglary in his bungalow. Police believed the former prime minister had lied in one of the statements and were ready to charge him for conspiracy.

But when police officers made a search of his house, they found millions in foreign currencies and charged him with money laundering, for which the sentence can be 10 years in prison under Mauritian law.

Ramgoolam is due to appear in court Saturday and police are likely to resist any bail application.

Ramgoolam was the prime minister of Mauritius for nine years till Dec 10, 2014.