Africa-Press – Mauritius. Joe Lesjongard and Soodesh Callichurn held a press conference yesterday at Sun Trust, where they addressed the “institutional crisis” shaking the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) following the arrival of Mamy Ravatomanga. Lesjongard spoke of a “takeover of the FCC” and expressed significant concern about the situation.
The opposition leader immediately referred to the private jet landing at SSR airport on the night of October 11, carrying Mamy Ravatomanga. According to Lesjongard, political nominees from Jet Prime Ltd. ensured that the private jet could land in Mauritius without any obstacles, and no one was aware of what was happening at the airport that day. He described this as serious negligence, potentially endangering the country, since the jet’s contents were unknown.
Furthermore, Lesjongard said there has been no follow-up on the incident since the jet landed more than fifteen days ago. Jet Prime Ltd. is still controlling the private jets arriving in Mauritius and all board members remain except for Gilbert Noël, who has just resigned. Regarding the FCC, Lesjongard described the institution as “adrift” and found the way its investigation is being conducted to be surprising.
He raised doubts about whether the real intent is to protect Junaid Fakim, who resigned as FCC commissioner for personal reasons. Despite the prime minister’s claim that Fakim would be interrogated if needed, Lesjongard emphasized the strong suspicions surrounding Fakim’s role in the ongoing investigation of the Malagasy businessman. He pointed out that despite serious allegations against the FCC, no action has been taken, questioning whether the FCC could investigate itself. Fakim had been acting commissioner for nine months, and Lesjongard wondered if such a prolonged interim term was even legal.
Lesjongard claimed that influence-peddling involves many high-ranking FCC officials and questioned the commission’s independence. “The public has the right to know if the nation’s institutions are functioning normally,” he stated. He raised these concerns at a parliamentary committee meeting chaired by Junior Minister Dhaneshwar Damry. According to Damry, the Attorney-General’s office advised renewing Fakim’s contract; Lesjongard demanded that the renewal letter be published. Alongside Adrien Duval and Franco Quirin, he sent a letter to Damry requesting an urgent committee meeting.
The big question, according to Lesjongard, is who will investigate the allegations against FCC members. Ideally, he suggested another institution should lead the inquiry to prevent interference. “The situation is serious,” he concluded, saying the opposition would keep close watch to ensure accountability.
During the Q&A, journalists asked Lesjongard and Callichurn about the relationship between the former administration and Mamy Ravatomanga. Soodesh Callichurn replied that there is an ongoing international investigation and urged against jumping to conclusions. Meanwhile, Lesjongard claimed that the current regime’s political appointees are now entangled in the controversy, rather than the previous administration.
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