Corruption in Mauritius

Corruption in Mauritius is a widespread and growing problem. In cables leaked from the US embassy the problem with corruption was referred to as "pervasive and ingrained".[1] The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigates offences and can confiscate the proceeds of corruption and money laundering.[2] However in February 2016 the outgoing United States ambassador to Mauritius stated that there is so much turmoil at the Independent Commission Against Corruption that it has lost its credibility.[3]

Political corruption
Concepts
Corruption by country
Africa
Asia
Europe
North America
Oceania
South America

At a meeting held on 11 April 2008 the Director of the Mauritius Customs Service revealed that he should remain quiet about the alleged corruption because if it were to become public, it could bring down the current government of Mauritius government. The meeting was attended by senior government officials including the Financial Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Deputy Commissioner of Police. [4]

Corruption levels

Some Mauritians are “traceurs” or “magouilleurs” par excellence – familiar examples being falsifying a home address to get a child into a perceived “star school”, bribing whoever it takes to obtain a driver's licence.[5] According to Transparency International, which measure the perceived level of public sector corruption and publish the annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI), in 2012, Mauritius scored 57 and is ranked 43rd (of 176) and 3rd in Africa.[6] The CPI rates countries from 0 ("highly corrupt") to 100 ("highly clean") and reflects perceived levels of corruption.

Cases

Ministry of Cooperatives and Ministry of Social Security

In 1979 two ministers of the ruling Labour Party (Mauritius) government (Badry and Dabee) were dismissed following an enquiry led by Victor Glover (judge) in alleged corruption. The revelations had been made under cover of parliamentary immunity by Harish Boodhoo.[7]

Amsterdam Boys, High Commissioner Soo Soobiah and Gambino drugs syndicate

On 18 February 1989 the High Commissioner of Mauritius in Great Britain, the Vatican and West Germany Soo Soobiah and his wife Muriel were arrested at their residence in Surrey, England on charges of disposing of drug proceeds, that is, laundering $670,800 of their son Nigel's drug profits. Nigel Sevan Soobiah had been tracked for months by the FBI as an international dealer of heroin associated with Gambino clan and the Pizza Connection case. In addition Nigel Soobiah was a key contact for the infamous 4 Amsterdam Boys who had been arrested at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam in Holland in December 1985 with 25 kilograms of the narcotic heroin in their suitcase, whilst travelling under the cover of diplomatic passports. The Amsterdam Boys were 4 elected members of the Mauritius National Legislative Assembly who formed part of the ruling MSM-PTr-PMSD coalition. They were Serge Thomas, Ismaël Nawoor, Dev Kim Currun, and Sattyanand Pelladoah.[8] [9]

Sol Kerzner's Passport scandal

In 1989 hotel and casino magnate Sol Kerzner acknowledged that he had bribed the leader of Transkei George Matanzima in 1986 in order to preserve Sun International’s monopoly on gambling licenses in Transkei, South Africa. This revelation became a scandal in Mauritius, where Sol Kerzner has recently opened a hotel along the western coast of Mauritius and had even received a Mauritian passport. The member of Parliament who had endorsed the citizenship and passport application was Ivan Collendavelloo who was forced to resign from Parliament by his party, the MMM. This triggered by-elections in Constituency No. 15 where Collendavelloo lost his bid for re-election to a political newbie.[10] [11]

Turbine Gate (CEB)

The Minister of Energy was sacked by the Prime Minister in 1994 following a scandal involving malpractice during the tendering process for the purchase of a gas turbine by para-statal organisation Central Electricity Board (CEB). The minister had approved a bid which was going to cost Rs 63 Millions more than a competitor's offer.[12][13]

Economic Crime Office (ECO)

In December 2001 the Economic Crime Office (ECO) was dismantled in the midst of investigations of alleged corruption involving ministers and allies of the ruling MSM-MMM government and a past CEO of Air Mauritius. ECO was soon after replaced by a similar organisation but with reduced power called Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).[14]

Scandal of Blankets (Affaire Molleton)

Following allegations made in 1999 and subsequent investigation by now defunct ECO the former Labour Party minister of Social Security (Vishnu Bundhun) was handed a 6-months jail sentence for bribery. The magistrates found him guilty of taking bribes during the procurement process of 105,000 blankets which would be donated to pensioners by the government. A senior government civil servant (Permanent Secretary) confessed that the minister had ordered collection of a commission of Rs. 10 per blanket from the supplier.[15]

Palmar Gate

In 2003 the former Housing and Lands Minister was arrested and charged with conspiracy to accept bribes in a scandal called Palmargate.[16][17]

2005 Electoral bribery

Following the re-election of Ashock Jugnauth at the 2005 General Elections as member of the Opposition his defeated rival Raj Ringadoo lodged a legal action in court, alledging that Ashock Jugnauth's re-election was the result of electoral bribes in the form of a promised new Muslim cemetery and by promising jobs to 101 health care assistants from his Constituency No. 8 (Quartier Militaire/Moka) in exchange for votes in his favour. In April 2007 the Supreme Court found Ashock Jugnauth to be guilty. He appealed the verdict to the British Privy Council. But in November 2008 the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council upheld the guilty verdict. [18]As a result Ashock Jugnauth lost his seat in parliament and by-election had to be held in 2009.[19][20]

Municipality of Quatre Bornes

In 2007, a municipal councillor was arrested on charges of influence peddling involving the allocation of vacant stalls at the Quatre Bornes Markets.[21]. The arrest was made by the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) and investigation led by elements of Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) as well as ICAC.

MedPoint Affair

In 2010 in order to create a specialized centre for geriatric care the cabinet of Ministers of the ruling PTR-MSM-PMSD government approved the purchase of the existing MedPoint Private Clinic which was owned by Dr Krishnan Malhotra and Mrs Shalini Devi Jugnauth-Malhotra. The latter is the sister of then Minister of Finance Pravind Jugnauth and daughter of then President Sir Anerood Jugnauth. The objective was to convert the hospital into a specialised centre. [22] On 22 July 2011 following an investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), then Minister of Health Maya Hanoomanjee was arrested by the ICAC Police and the government chief valuer was suspended from his duties. Pravind Jugnauth was also arrested on charges of "conflict of interest".[23] This became known as the MedPoint Affair or MedPoint Scandal. Paul Bérenger who was Opposition Leader at the time protested against the arrest.[24] On 30 June 2015 Jugnauth was found guilty under Article 13 of the Prevention Of Corruption Act 2002 (PoCA).[25] He was sentenced by the Intermediate court of Mauritius for 1 year of imprisonment. However, he appealed to the Supreme Court of Mauritius and won his appeal.[26] The prosecution appealed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, but the prosecution appeal was unsuccessful. In order to defend the accused parties the Director General of ICAC Navin Beekarry had travelled from Mauritius to London to be present at the January 2019 hearing of this appeal. This was deemed to be a significant conflict of interest by members of the Opposition and the local press.[27]

Affaire Boskalis

In 2013, Dutch dredging group Boskalis was fined the equivalent of €1000 by a court in Mauritius for making illicit payments to a port official. [28] Representatives of Boskalis International bv pleaded guilty of giving bribes and kickbacks of Rs 3 Millions in US Dollars and Euros to the ex-Minister and allies in order to secure the major contract for dredging the port in 2006.[29] Following the same Boskalis bribery scandal the former chairman, former director of Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) were found guilty and were sentenced to 9 months of jail time in November 2019. One of the guilty parties had also been a Labour Party (Mauritius) Minister and the other had been a political lobbyist. [30]

Crown land allocated to political activists and allies

Following the December 2014 elections the new government instigated criminal proceedings to recover about 1,000 acres (1,150 arpents) of state-owned land which had been allocated to the activists and allies of the ex-PM Navin Ramgoolam under his Labour government since 2005. The legal documentation was lodged with the State Law Office (SLO) and Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) is also involved in the inquiry. The principal recipients of the various lots of Crown land were Arya Samaj activist and Labour Party activist Suryadeo Sungkur (beachfront land for his restaurant Ritum Coffee at Trou Aux Biches), Lekram Nunlall (Tarisa Resort), Navin Unoop (Voice of Hindu and Vijay Om Hamara)[31], Corporate Hotel Ltd (30 arpents since 2009), British American Investment (BAI) Dawood Rawat's subsidiary Tucson Ltd (20 arpents), Dhanjay Callikan (4 arpents in Balaclava for the brother of Dan Callikan, Navin Ramgoolam's former adviser and former head of Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)), Sandranee Ramjoorawon (also known as "Sandy" the cousin of Navin Ramgoolam who received 7.3 arpents in Palmar for an apartment complex via company Dream Spa & Resorts Limited). Sandranee's husband Rajiv Beeharry, a trusted adviser of Navin Ramgoolam was also appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mauritius Post and Cooperative Bank (MPCB). Tommy Ah-Teck received 19.7 arpents at Albion Beach for the construction of a brand new hotel through his company Insignia Leisure Resorts Ltd. Ah-Teck's company Gamma renovated and extended the house owned by Nandanee Oogarah-Soornack, the girlfriend of ex-Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. Another of Ah-Teck's company (Lottotech) was granted its gambling-house permit by Navin Ramgoolam. Ah Teck's group of companies Gamma has made donations in excess of Rs18.5 Millions to political parties between 2010 and 2014 when Labour Party was in power.[32] The Labour Party Treasurer Deva Virahsawmy's company Midas Acropolis was also granted 31 arpents of Crown land at St-Félix after the Labour government cancelled the development permit previously awarded to a businessmean from Reunion Island. Prior to the December 2014 elections the ministry held by Deva Virahsawmy awarded approved the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for land clearing of the 31 arpents in preparation of the development of a new hotel. Within the harbour precinct state land was granted to Beta Cement which is a subsidiary of Betonix which is owned by Veekram Bhunjun, who is the brother of ex-minister Rajesh Jeetah's wife. Bhunjun was also awarded 12.5 arpents at Petite-Rivière-Noire via his company Western Marina.[33]

Affaire Bale Couleur

In April 2016, the Independent Commission Against Corruption recommended formal proceedings against the former Minister of the Environment.[34] The minister was dismissed when details of the audio recording (bande sonore) were released to the public via the press, suggesting he was asking a real estate developer to donate bales of food-grade pigmented powder (also colloquially known as "Bale Couleur" in French language or "Bal Kouler" in Creole dialect) used during Hindu festival Holi in exchange for ministerial approval of the developer's project.[35]

National Computer Board

In May 2016, the representative of Cisco System filed suit against the National Computer Board (NCB) and executives of the Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA). It was alleged that a bribe is required for all government projects.[36]

Independent Broadcasting Authority(IBA)

In 2016 Alentaris selected the candidates for the job of director of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) The president of the IBA, who was a member of the political party in power, was hired as director.[37] In April 2016, the Independent Commission Against Corruption opened an investigation in the recruitment of the director of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (Mauritius).[38]

In 2017 a newspaper uncovered the questionable practice of the director of the Independent Broadcasting Authority to solicit USD 15 000 from investors for each project which required the collaboration of a government ministry.[39]

Biscuit Gate

In February 2017 a member of Parliament sought clarifications from the Speaker whose daughter's company was awarded contracts to supply tinned biscuits to state-owned organisations. In addition the tins bore misleading labels 'Made in UK' when they were supplied by a local baker and the press called the scandal "Biscuitgate".[40][41]

Credit Card shopping scandal

In March 2018 the President of Mauritius Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned from office following a scandal revealed by the local press and which embarrassed the ruling government which had supported her nomination to the ceremonial office. Receipts of the president's overseas private expenditures (luxury goods such as jewellery and clothing) using a credit card provided by a non-government organisation (NGO) were published. The NGO was founded by an Angolan banker who was keen to obtain a banking licence and other investments in Mauritius.[42]

St Louis Gate and Wakashio Oil Spill

In June 2020 a corruption scandal dubbed St Louis gate came to light and involved political appointees of the government, board members of the Central Electricity Board (CEB) and Danish firm Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC). In 2014 a tender package was issued by the CEB which was cancelled and reissued in 2015 for a major upgrade of an existing diesel power station at St. Louis, on the outskirts of capital city Port Louis. BWSC was awarded the contract but a whistleblower alerted the financier African Development Bank (ADB) about the bribes received by several CEB employees through an intermediary. ADB investigated the claims and thus excluded BWSC from all future work for 21 months. In June 2020 after this was raised in Parliament the entire Management Team of CEB was stood down and replaced.[43][44] By the end of June 2020 the Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth dismissed the Deputy Prime Minister from his Cabinet. The Deputy PM also held the portfolio of Minister of Energy. The dismissal came after the PM received a report which had been released by ADB alleging that bribes had been paid to various parties via an intermediary during the tendering process.[45] It appears that BWSC belongs to the japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co, Ltd[46], which is partly owned by Mitsui O.S.K Lines[47] who is the registered operator of the boat MV Wakashio oil spill that crashed on the east coast on 29 July 2020.

See also

References
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