Opinion
By Jan Arden
There is a growing perception that the ICAC, since the coming into office of the MSM ruling dispensations, has not been renowned for conducting with a minimum of zeal and professionalism enquiries in any case that might have involved those close to higher offices in government circles. The only exception that we have been given to see lately concerns its money-laundering investigations into the Franklin affair. The list is otherwise long enough in several high-profile cases that have erupted since 2015. The St Louis CEB procurement saga is still dawdling along at ICAC after 7-8 years despite a Senior Minister having been made to step down by the Prime Minister and several exchanges with either the Scandinavian company BWSC or the African Development Bank as funding agency. More affairs erupted since then, namely, over the corrupt procurement processes at Health, Commerce and the State Trading Corporation during the pandemic concerning health supplies, equipment, vaccines and pharmaceuticals, where again the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection was forced to vacate his post but without any substantial progress on any of the several enquiries that would have been largely justified.
Other Ministers when replying to awkward allegations, resorted to stating that the matter had been referred to ICAC for enquiries: e.g., the acting Minister of Commerce and Consumer Protection in the case of Rs 500 M of illegal cigarette paper imported in the island or the Minister of Health on the saga of Molnupiravir pills, millions of which were purchased once at Rs 9 and the very next day at Rs 79 without, it seems, fully abiding by procurement processes. In those and perhaps other cases the mantle of an ICAC enquiry was perceived to be a political convenience where embarrassing questions could no longer be asked.
It was therefore somewhat of a surprise that, while Franklin had been on the ADSU radar since 2016 and the Reunion authorities had condemned the guy for drug trafficking in absentia to 7 years jail time, ICAC felt empowered around February to launch with unusual vigour its money-laundering investigations into drug warlord Franklin’s operations on the West Coast, with all its tentacular ramifications. Where will this ICAC enquiry lead to, ask the sceptics, who wonder how much leeway, protection and for how long Franklin was allowed to augment his business and fly in and out of the country unhindered? The collateral revelations that a senior Minister, a PPS and select guests were allegedly revelling in a Black Label stag party a few hundred metres from Grand Bassin while settling an alleged corrupt deal of Rs 3.5m for 700 acres of land lease sometime in 2020 came as an unexpected thunderbolt. Particularly among the Hindu faithful community and those who at immense sacrifices, fasting and devotions, carry their kanwars and perform their rituals at the sacred site before taking jars of the Pari Talao water for temple prayers on the occasion of the great night of Lord Shiva. Read More… Become a Subscriber
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 7 April 2023
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