Blog: The MSM/MMM Banana Republic

The Medpoint case has been a watershed in the recent political turmoil and one person who is relishing the situation is Paul Berenger. To him power is almost within grab with the MSM as an ally.

It was Paul Berenger who raised the Medpoint matter. He wanted a full investigation and stated that he had a strategy on how to deal with this matter and he would share it with the Prime Minister. Then he pressed for a Select Committee of Parliament. We must pause here and ask ourselves what the strategy was. He must have thought that by raising the Medpoint matter he would drive Navin Ramgoolam against the wall. This backfired. Instead a full investigation was stated.

Now that the MSM has left the government and two MSM members have been arrested Paul Berenger is not showing the same enthusiasm. He has no trust in ICAC the institution mandated to investigate alleged cases of corruption. He is clamouring that ICAC is a political tool. He levelled the same accusation against ECO to save his friend Jayen Cuttaree. The same idea has been echoed by Pravind  Jugnauth. Had the MMMMSM been in power an investigation on the Medpoint or a similar case involving any member of the MMM or the MSM would never have taken place. If proof is needed it resides in the Cuttaree case that provoked the demise of ECO at the end of 2001.

Paul Berenger is already infamous on account of the Sheikh Hossen case which saw him accuse Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam of arson without any proof. Now he is accusing ICAC of playing politics without proof. What is worse is that Paul Berenger has donned the garb of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and has already determined that the investigation and case file do not disclose a case of conflict of interest against Pravind Jugnauth. This is another blatant example of how the MMM is trying to manipulate the office of the DPP or is already engaged in a strategy of undermining that office in case the DPP orders prosecution against Pravind Jugnauth. There is no limit to what the MMM along with the MSM will do to undermine all the institutions of this country.

What to say of the statement of the President of the Republic on his views about ICAC. Those who always pontificate on the integrity of institutions barely said or wrote anything on this abhorrent attitude. Sir Anerood Jugnauth was the promoter of the law that scrapped ECO. Today because his son has been quizzed by ICAC he is of the opinion that ICAC pé fané. All that Paul Berenger had to say on this is that as bon père de famille et père du pays, il est, avec raison, bien inquiet de la situation dans le pays. How ridiculous. It is this man that Berenger described as a person who a sense of statehood. What a shame!

Most likely the MMM and MSM will strike a political deal to fight the next elections. If they happen to be in power we say Good luck Mauritius. Let us not forget that Sir Anerood Jugnauth signed a lease to rent part of the SunTrust to the Ministry of Education. Was there a conflict of interest then? The Jugnauth clan pocketed an amount of Rs45 million  when the lease was terminated by the Labour government in 2005. With Sir Anerood Jugnauth and his son attacking ICAC, with Berenger attacking ICAC and trying to act as the DPP the setting is ripe for the banana republic of the MSM and MMM. If that is what the people want let them have it.