Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has yet to bring its investigation into the case of alleged corruption in the St Louis Power Station Redevelopment Project to a closure.
Bertrand Lagesse, head of AMB Lagesse Business and Engineering Consultancy, and Philippe Hao Thyn Chuan Ha Shun of PAD Co and Prof Kasenally had been called for interrogations.
Those in relation to Hon Paul Berenger and Ivan Collendavelloo, whose names have been allegedly mentioned in the partial report of the African Development Bank’s Integrity Oversight Committee, have been left in abeyance. Both political leaders have therefore been left hanging in the air apparently due to the “complexity” of the matter. What’s your take on that?
Whenever there is a suspicion of corruption on anybody, the ICAC should immediately set the machinery in motion and start an investigation with a view to finding out whether there is a case against the person who is suspected of corruption.
Unfortunately, public perception is that ICAC is always slow to act whenever the matter involves a politician of the majority or somebody close to the government.
This a most unhealthy situation for any institution that is supposed to act independently of political power. If there is case against any politician or political leader, let the investigation proceed and the result communicated to the DPP.
But Mauritius being what it is with the present regime, the St Louis inquiry is likely going to serve as a political weapon to get at Hon. Paul Berenger.
My take on that is that there is nothing substantial against Paul Berenger and that all the noise and allegations made are simply devoid of any merit or substance.
* Hon Collendavelloo has been left by the wayside for a long time now, and he is therefore unable to resume his seat in Cabinet. As for Hon Berenger, the sword of Damocles is still hanging over his head. How do you react to that?
One could reasonably suspect that had there been an iota of evidence against Paul Berenger, ICAC would have summoned him right away! It does not seem that to be the case. If there is nothing against Ivan Collendavelloo and Paul Berenger, let ICAC say so instead of sleeping on the investigation for whatever reasons.
* The Prevention of Corruption Act 2002 does not provide for an oversight mechanism to monitor the ICAC at its operational level, except for a Parliamentary Committee, whose functions is to ‘monitor and review the manner in which the Commission fulfils its functions, but cannot intervene nor interfere in any ‘specific case under investigation by the Commission’.
What this means is that there is therefore no mechanism to police the ICAC. That cannot be right, isn’t it? The ICAC is not accountable to anybody or to any institution except to public opinion. But does it care?
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