Mauritius gov't hit by corruption, claims of electoral fraud

The government of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth is barely shouting about its election victory that it is hit in the courts.

And it is also hammered by the opposition in Mauritius over accusations of vote-rigging.

L’affaire Boskalis got a resounding verdict in the Intermediary Court. The case which is dragging since 2006, finally got the verdict of guilty for the two accused, Siddick Chady and Prakash Maunthrooa.

Maunthrooa is not an ordinary citizen. He is a top guy in the Jugnauth entourage and a powerful person in the government circles.

Court magistrate, Wendy Rangan, delivered the verdict against Siddick Chady and Maunthrooa.

Chady was accused of taking a bribe of Euro 25,000 on Jan 8, 2007.

Prakash Maunthrooa was found guilty of complicity in the case. He organised a secret meeting in 2006 between Chady and Pieter Boer who represented Boskalis.

The case surrounds a contract in the port estimated about Rupees 439 millions which the Dutch firm Boskalis International was allocated in 2006.

According to the prosecution, Boskalis granted bribes amounting to Rs 3 millions to the former boss of the port, Chady, with the complicity of . Maunthrooa.

ELECTION FRAUD?

A week after the election results are out, the opposition parties in Mauritius are growling with anger.

They are bringing claims of election rigging and fraud to the Supreme Court in Mauritius.

The Reform Party, flatly beaten in the Nov 7 polls, is claiming massive bribery by the government in the elections.

The party’s candidate at No. 19 (Stanley/Rose Hill) Preetam Seewochurn sent a petition to the court and it was accepted by the judge. The Supreme Court will hear the case regarding the call to invalidate the constituency’s results on Nov 25.

Two MMM candidates and one MSM-ML candidate won the seats at No. 19/ They are MMM leader Paul Berenger and while the third elected is Ivan Collendaveloo, the leader of the ML.

Seewochurn claims there was electoral bribery during the campaign with the announcement of a massive increase in the old-age pensions. He argues this was to woo the 200,000 pensioners in the country.

He also cites the Pay Research Bureau report which the regime says it will validate in January 2020. He says the civil servants were wooed by this promise.

On the other hand, the MMM supports the PTR’s electoral petition.

After the elections, the candidates have 21 days to contest the verdict at the Supreme Court.