Blog: Robocop, Rambo, DPP and Judge

The former President of the Republic used the office of the presidency to forge an alliance with the MMM. State House was converted into SunTrust no.2 where Sir Anerood Jugnauth (SAJ) was meeting potential political allies and all this was being done with the complicity of the MMM of Paul Berenger. The institution of the presidency dimmed into contempt and insignificance. What mattered was power at any cost. The strategy aimed at was a debauchery of members of the government in the earnest hope that new elections would catapult the former president to the seat of prime minister with the MMM serving as crutches to a totally handicapped MSM, an MSM that has been totally paralysed under the non-existent leadership of the son of SAJ, Pravind Jugnauth.

Last week the man who treated the office of the president with utter contempt stated with a look of hatred that if/when he becomes prime minister he will send Navin Ramgoolam to jail. He also criticised the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who advised prosecution against Showkatally Soodhun qualifying the decision of the DPP, a civil servant and a protected person under section 72 of the Constitution as a criminal act. The man SAJ is simply losing all his bearings in his morbid bid to secure power to satisfy his vendetta against those who he believes are responsible for the plight in which his son, whom he wants to see as prime minister during his lifetime, finds himself.

SAJ has stated that he will initiate investigations against Navin Ramgoolam for what he has done and will send him to jail. SAJ as a lawyer and a former Crown Law Officer should still remember that investigations are conducted by the police either on a complaint or on their own initiative. The investigation in serious cases is then forwarded to the DPP who alone has the power to advise prosecution or file the case without giving any reasons. We have precedents on the filing of the murder case against Cehl Meeah by DPP Hamuth and the filing of the Maigrot case equally on a charge of murder by DPP Angoh. SAJ should also be aware or deemed to be aware that a case is tried by a court of law presided by a magistrate or judge and guilt is based on admissible and relevant evidence presented to the court. If SAJ has any solid evidence of any alleged criminal act by Navin Ramgoolam he should make a formal complaint to the police and get Navin Ramgoolam arrested and an investigation started. But SAJ must also bear in mind that if he makes a complaint that turns out to be false then he might be liable to a prosecution for the offence of false and malicious denunciation in writing. If he is as brave and daring as he pretended to be at that public gathering that was meagerly attended, he must then go ahead.

By commenting the decision of the DPP to prosecute Showkatally Soodhun SAJ has done two things. First he has demonstrated that he has no respect for the office and institution of the DPP and secondly he is already preparing public opinion into believing that the decision of the DPP to prosecute his son would be a political decision in case such a prosecution is advised by the DPP. This is a most dangerous behaviour and is proof of the hate speech against the office of the DPP or the person of the DPP, Mr. Satyajit Boolell. The public has a right to ask and know whether when DPP Leung Shin, who later joined the MSM and became Attorney General in the government of SAJ, advised prosecution against the late Sir Gaëtan Duval, that was a political decision or vendetta, as the initiative for that case emanated from a complaint registered at the house of SAJ when he was prime minister. Who wanted to send Sir Gaëtan Duval to the gallows? Was it SAJ? Was it the police? Or was it DPP Leung Shin? SAJ should look over his shoulders before he blurts out any nonsense.

The question then arises as to who should be jailed between Navin Ramgoolam and SAJ? Who sacked people brutally from the civil service in 1982 and from the MBC in 1991? Wasn’t that a political vendetta? Who took the decision to rent Sun Trust to the Ministry of Education when SAJ was prime minister? Was not that a patent case of conflict of interest? Who agreed to have his effigy and that of his wife on official currency notes when he was prime minister? Wasn’t it SAJ and that cost the tax payers millions of rupees as the notes had to be recalled in view of the public furor? Who wanted to deprive Navin Ramgoolam of his parliamentary seat by using the “colorable device”, as the late Chief Justice Rajsoomer Lallah wrote, of summoning parliament at 9am instead of the traditional 11am? Was not a case of sheer political vendetta? SAJ is donning the garb of Robocop, Rambo, DPP and Judge to convey the message that he is the all-powerful guy in Mauritius? If by any misfortune SAJ becomes prime minister again with the complicity of Paul Berenger then we can start shuddering as the country will substitute the Rule of Law by the Rule of Jugnauth. Who knows the name of the country may even be changed.