Pour la énième fois le Premier ministre appelle à la patience pour qu’il présente sa défense dans le scandale Angus Road. Pravind Jugnauth était l’invité de l’Arya Samaj Mandir de l’Avenir dans le cadre des célébrations de Divali. Dans son discours, le chef du gouvernement a dit verbatim : «kan ou dan bon simé ou pou sorti dan lobskirité. Komié atak mo inn ganyé? konba la pou dir et difisil, mé si ou krwar dan ou konba ou pou kapav fer fass ek asirr enn viktwar. Seki mo pe viv zordi mo inn sibir buku latak. Zordi ankor mo pe sibir boukou latak de la par de mo bann adverser politik ek la press, sirtou l’express. Mo pran langazman. Zot pou trouvé komié aksyon legal mo pou pran kont bann politisien ek la presse. Zot inn dir ki enn dimonn in asté enn terin 20 millions in met lor nom mo bann zanfan ou réalisé. Apré enn lot kozé létan monn asté later sakula selma monn péy cash. Et monn péy pliss saki lalwa otorisé. Toussala pé alé em la. Ou koné sa bann terrains la ti asté dans bann lané 2000. Mo pé rasanblé tou mo bann prev. Dimunn pé kalkilé bé kifer mo pé réazir, kifer mo pa pé dir sa. Mo pa dir enn kar la, enn lot kar la, enn lot kar la. Kan mo pou fini rasanblé tou bann prév, létan mo pou vinn piblik, mo pou less dimunn mem zizé ki monn fer ek kuma monn fer (..). Zot pou gété ki kantité bann aksyon légal ki pou éna. Nék mo dir atann ankor enn ti pé létan. Lerla nou a gété.»  Il poursuit ensuit en hindi pour dire «naryé napa pou ni dékouraz mwa, ni détourn mo latansyon, lor travay ki mo éna pou fer pou ou et pou le pays». 

Rappelons que l’express avait envoyé 9 questions au Premier ministre le 21 octobre dernier avant l’émission «Angus Road : Le Grand Déballage».  Voici la lettre que nous lui avions envoyée :

L’express is publishing an investigation on the purchase of immoveable property at Angus Road by Pravind Jugnauth on Saturday 24th October and hosting a show on the same subject in the afternoon on Friday 23rd October.  We would be happy to publish in-toto the answers of the Prime minister to the following questions :

1) Did you as minister of agriculture between 2000-2003 divulge to cabinet or any other authority your personal dealings with Bel Air Sugar Estate (BASE) while latter was being engaged under your aegis in the sugar reform (VRS) and while latter was asking to re-obtain a lease from government for 104 arpents in the Rivière des Anguilles region for a hotel and golf course project ?

2) Mr Patrick Rountree states in an affidavit that in or about 2001 yourself, accompanied by the then minister of lands and housing and Mr Anil Nemchand PRO of BASE carried out a site visit on the said State Land in view of negotiations for granting BASE the lease. In which capacity did you do so ?

3) Is it factual to state that, while you were having personal dealings with BASE including purchase of lands at discounted price at Angus Lane, Vacoas, you acted as intermediary between BASE and ministry of lands for the lease on the said land ?

4) The registered deed of sale (TV6812/75) registered on 22nd Nov 2007, show that for the purchase of 3597m2 from BASE at Angus Road on 19th November 2007, you as buying party paid for Rs 7 million « dès avant ces présentes, hors la vue et sans le concours du notaire ». Would you – while bearing in mind that we might be in presence of additional documentation on this deal – reveal, in the public interest, when and how was this payment made ?

5) It is documented and undisputed that payment for your purchase of two additional portions of 7023.49 m2 and 2673.80 m2 (described in TV 7028/22) were made by one Loganaden Govinden in UK through a Rs 20m (in £) bank transfer to Mr Patrick Rountree’s personal account at Coutts Bank in 2001. The following questions arise :

i) Is it factual to state that you and your wife lied in front of the notary when you claim to have paid for the Rs 20 million while payment was made by Mr Govinden ?

ii) If not, what is your version ?

iii) Why did Mr Govinden, 7 years after having paid this sum, ask for the title deed to be prepared in your name ?

iv) Is this a gift from Mr Govinden ?

v) The deed was prepared 7 years after payment. Would you deny that the portion valued at Rs 20,000,000 in 2001 was worth much more in 2008 when deed was prepared ?

This is a non-exhaustive list of questions regarding the subject and more questions might follow in the coming weeks.

Regards.