SA murder-accused loses bail bid in Mauritius

Peter Wayne Roberts, the Johannesburg businessman held in Mauritius in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, was denied bail on Wednesday.

Roberts has been detained since the death of Lee-Ann Palmarozza, 35, on the island in December. He was provisional charged with her murder, which, according to Mauritian law, allows an individual to be held without being officially charged while the police investigate.

Roberts's lawyer, Nicqui Galaktiou, said bail was denied because Roberts was a foreigner and a flight risk. She said his family was devastated by the ruling.

Roberts's legal team was exploring several options on how to proceed, Galaktiou said. He had hired local and international experts to defend him, including advocate Kenny Oldwadge, who was part of Oscar Pistorius's defence team, and Robert Amsterdam, an international human rights lawyer.