Her explanation however that she used the PEI Platinum Card inadvertently on all these 62 occasions is to say the least laughable.
“…an accomplished and outstanding research scientist like Mrs Gurib-Fakim, may on one or few occasions…make such a mistake. But not continuously on 62 occasions”
She was unhesitatingly making use of her position as President of the Republic of Mauritius in order to do so in an influential manner.
it was only after the press had published serious allegations concerning the suspicious activities of Dr Sobrinho and his scandalous association with Mrs Gurib-Fakim… that she proceeded with the reimbursement of the expenses
…that there has been no reimbursement of the sum of Rs 3,748,751 which has been funded by the PEI Deposit Account to pay for her expenses…
Dans notre édition No 129 du dimanche 14 août 2022, Le Xournal Dimans n’était pas d’accord pour tomber dans le jeu infecte de ceux qui voulaient octroyer un certificat de virginité politique à Mme Ameenah Gurib-Fakim. Le temps nous donne raison.
A l’époque nous écrivions : « La polémique concernant le départ d’Ameenah Gurib Fakim de la présidence mérite des éclaircissements. Mais il y a trop de faussetés autour de l’ex-présidente notamment qu’elle a été forcée de partir sur la base d’une lettre anonyme. Elle doit se raviser et ne pas tenter de se refaire une virginité politique. Oui, en 2014, il y avait une unanimité pour la nommer à la Présidence de la République et d’en faire notre « Commander in Chief ». Personne ne savait pas à ce moment qu’elle allait utiliser la carte Platinum de Planet Earth Institute d’Alvaro Sobrino et faire des choses illégales. Ce qui avait poussé à l’époque Paul Bérenger à juger que la Présidente de la république, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim « s’est disqualifiée de son poste ». D’autres documents ont été fuités pour des dépenses à travers la Platinum Card totalisant de Rs 2,3 millions à 63 reprises. Parmi, on note des achats de chaussures fait main en Italie, des bijoux, des séjours dans des hôtels en Suisse et à Maurice, dîners et déjeuners etc. C’est pourquoi le GM estime que la présidente aurait dû savoir qu’elle n’était pas autorisée à faire de telles dépenses car sa limite de crédit était de Rs 200 000.” »
Aujourd’hui nous estimons que nous devons publier les principaux reproches de la Commission d’Enquête contre l’ex-présidente. Nous tenons à saluer au passage celui qui a drafté les termes de références de la Commission Caunhye. Pour l’édification de nos lecteurs, nous publions ici les principaux extraits :-
3.12 Inadvertent Use
Mrs Gurib-Fakim maintained in the course of her examination before the Commission that she ‘inadvertently’ used the card on all these occasions. According to her, she used the card ‘by mistake’ as she had a personal credit card of the same colour and there was no need to use a pin number.
Her explanation however that she used the PEI Platinum Card inadvertently on all these 62 occasions is to say the least laughable.
It is perfectly understandable that any person, even endowed with the meticulous rigour, intelligence, and discernment of an accomplished and outstanding research scientist like Mrs Gurib-Fakim, may on one or few occasions 24 Annex S 48 make such a mistake. But not continuously on 62 occasions, over a period of 7 months, at 14 different locations, in the course of different trips in 10 countries and to make payments which amount to more than 2 million rupees!
8.5 Violation of Oath
Any violation of the Constitution by its guardian indisputably constitutes in such circumstances a violation of what Mrs Gurib-Fakim had solemnly affirmed under oath to protect and defend.
The violation of the Constitution by Mrs Gurib-Fakim as its appointed guardian as President of the Republic would indeed in the present circumstances constitute a violation of what Mrs Gurib-Fakim had solemnly affirmed under the sanctity of a constitutional Oath to defend.
Mrs Gurib-Fakim embarked not only into a violation of the sacrosanct democratic principles enshrined in section 28(1)(b) of the Constitution but she also violated the Oath which she had subscribed to honour and defend pursuant to section 30B and the Third Schedule to the Constitution.
4.9 Personal intervention and support of Mrs Gurib-Fakim as President of the Republic
The evidence has indeed brought to light that during that period Mrs GuribFakim intervened personally on numerous occasions in order to promote the business and financial activities of Dr Sobrinho’s companies. She was unhesitatingly making use of her position as President of the Republic of Mauritius in order to do so in an influential manner. The letters which she was writing in support of the activities of Dr Sobrinho invariably bear the official letterhead of the Office of the President and the coat of arms of Mauritius. The letters would end with the signatures of Mrs Gurib-Fakim, not only as Vice-Chairperson of the PEI but more strikingly as “President of the Republic of Mauritius”.
“unlawful use of the Office of the President”
Our penal laws create various offences which are relevant in determining her “unlawful use of the Office of the President”. The following list is by no means exhaustive. Plusieurs sections du Prevention of Corruption Act sont ainsi citées :
- Under section 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act [“POCA”] an “act of corruption” means an act which constitutes a corruption offence. This includes “any conduct whereby, in return for a gratification, a person does or neglects from doing an act in contravention of his public duties”.
- Section 2(b)(iii) of POCA also defines “a corruption offence” as including “the abuse of a public office for private gain”.
(iii) Section 2(b)(v) of POCA further includes as an “act of corruption”, constituting a corruption offence, any conduct whereby a person obtains, for himself or for any other person, any gratification for inducing a public official, by the exercise of personal influence, to do an act in the exercise of his duties to show favour to any person.
(iv) Public official using his office for gratification Section 7(1) of POCA criminalises the conduct of “any public official who makes use of his office or position for a gratification for himself or another person”.
(v) Influencing public official Section 9 of POCA creates an offence for unduly influencing by pressure a public official with a view to the performance by that public official of an act in the execution of his functions or duties.
(vi) Trafic d’influence Section 10 of POCA creates an offence for any person or public official who accepts or obtains a gratification from any other person, in order to make use of “his influence to obtain any benefit from a public body” [Sections 10(4) and (5) of the POCA].
3.13 Reimbursement
The evidence with which she was confronted unequivocally indicates that it was only after the press had published serious allegations concerning the suspicious activities of Dr Sobrinho and his scandalous association with Mrs Gurib-Fakim in her capacity as President of the Republic, that she proceeded with the reimbursement of the expenses incurred with the PEI Card. Her resignation from the PEI board also took place at the same time in March 2017.
