The arrest of journalist Jasodanand by a horde of police officers on a mere complaint by the son of a high official reminds us of the arrest by equally a horde of police officers of Ms. Rachna Seenauth a few years back on the ground that she had posted some comment on social media on the former prime minister, Pravin Jugnauth. At the time of the arrest of Ms. Seenauth the then government remained muted and did nor see in the arrest and the circumstances in which it was made any form of abuse.

The acting Prime Minister Paul Berenger has asked for a full report of the circumstances of the arrest of the journalist. He has also condemned the fact that an arrest was made without properly checking whether the complaint against the journalist revealed an arrestable offence. The acting Prime Minister and the whole government must be given credit for such a stand. No citizen should lose his liberty on mere complaints which at times are frivolous. Under the Pravin Jugnauth regime, the saga of quick arrests following complaints by ministers or followers of the party then in power, was a current phenomenon with the assistance of the Jagai Striking Team. The then so-called independent police were quick to react when ministers or high placed officials made complaints.

The principle of individual liberty is one of the fundamental principles of a democratic society and of human rights. Deprivation of liberty is a very serious matter and can only be justified if it is lawful and necessary. Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR] proclaims that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest. Article 9(1) the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [ICCPR] is to the effect that no one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law. Section  5 of our Constitution provides that “No person shall be deprived of his personal liberty save as may be authorised by law upon reasonable suspicion of having committed, or being about to commit, a criminal offence’”

As the law stands an arrest may be made if there is reasonable suspicion that a person has committed an offence. There is no magic yardstick to assess what reasonable suspicion amounts to. There has been several pronouncements by national courts and the European Court of Human Rights on the standard of reasonable suspicion. In a case decided in 1989, late Justice Ahnee and I held that a police officer effecting an arrest must take into consideration the totality of the circumstances including the explanations of the suspect and that, whatever suspicion the police may harbour against the suspect, should be weighed against any factors which tell in favour of the suspect. A total neglect of the explanations that the suspect may have to offer may well lead to the conclusion that the suspicion is not reasonable. “The ‘reasonable suspicion’ requirement is a valuable protection to the Community and it is an essential safeguard against arbitrary arrest and detention. Hence, the police shall before, arresting a person satisfy itself that there do in fact exist reasonable grounds for suspicion of guilt”. [Magistrate (Ms.)Hamuth in a ruling].

What happened to journalist Jasodanand once more indicates the urgent necessity of having the enactment of a Police and Criminal Justice Act. In the Police and Criminal Justice Bill as drafted in 2013, it is stated in the Explanatory Memorandum that the main objects of the Bill are to bring together in one enactment, subject to certain exceptions, the provisions which relate to the exercise by police officers of the powers to stop, enter, search, seize, arrest and detain; and the treatment and questioning of detainees; provide for a statutory basis for provisional informations; and to betterguarantee the citizen’s constitutional rights to liberty, protection of property, freedom of movement and protection of the law. Section 17 of the Bill in enacted provides A police officer shall not arrest a person on the basis of the mere allegation of a third party unless he has carried out the necessary investigations to verify certain conditions provided in Bill, namely reasonable suspicion that an individual is about to commit or has committed an offence. There are also provisions that are a guide to police officers on the necessity of an arrest. The Bill if enacted would  have protected citizens from abusive arret.

Many citizens of the country do not realise what freedom means until they are deprived of it.

The post Intolerable Police Action appeared first on Capital.

Unauthorised acquisition of surveillance equipment, manipulation of legal mass surveillance system for personal benefits as experienced in Mauritius over the last years,  is unprecedented. The network which  once used to be like the wife of Ceasar, above suspicion is now  exposed. Appointment of Incompetent cronies has led systemic erosion of trust,  leaving  Pompeia totally naked for the world to see.

THE BACKDROP

Amidst the “Sniffing” turmoil and prior to “Moustass Leaks” , Capital Media published a comprehensive article on how the Jugnauth government spent billions since 2016 to snoop on citizens of the country. The technology acquired from Israeli firm Verint was extensively used to encroach on the very essence of personal privacy, infringe fundamental  rights and targeting of dissent. Documents exchanged during legal proceedings have confirmed affirmations of a compromised  network. What initially kickstarted as a means for cronies to mint billions quickly churned into an urge to wield absolute power through monitoring of information. What could be more powerful than mirroring the data of those in power ? That’s when the system intended for mass surveillance went rogue and served the interest of a few.

Mid 2020 – It was a casual courtesy call by a visiting senior member of a Chinese Technology Supplier  at the PMO which blew the first whistle on the potential threat of surveillance equipment being used against its masters . On his way to the meeting the Chinese official received a threatening call from senior member of Mauritius Telecom warning him not to disclose any of their private dealings . The suspicion aroused from the fact that no one else was supposed to be  aware of the meeting except the visitor and the …………. Prime Minister.

Following various other alerts flagging potential threats to the network, the Prime Minister’s Office sought assistance from the Government of India which through then Security Advisor, posted at the PMO,  recommended one of  its reliable, homegrown service provider – Vehere Technologies Private Limited . Based on its  expertise in Network Detection and Response (NDR) and Network Forensics (NF), services of Vehere Technologies  were retained for the detection of abnormal activities in both encrypted and non-encrypted traffic. The  Delhi based company’s mandate was to investigate suspicious network traffic, data theft and propose comprehensive solutions.

The exercise was  conducted in April 2022 and prior to submission of Vehere Technologies’s  final report , the story took an abrupt twist with then  CEO of Mauritius Telecom , Manvendra Singh  resigning from his position alleging the government had embarked on   mass surveillance  using sniffing equipment at the landing station of Baie Jacotet which hosts the  SAT3/WASC/ SAFE marine  cable.  Leaked video footage from  surveillance cameras showing the technicians from Vehere Technologies  were used to fuel the mass hysteria happily spun by  mainstream media. A perfect illustration of “ Turning the tables“.  However, 3 years down the line none of the other partners of the SAFE Consortium have complained about any alleged intrusion. The Police inquiry though very straight forward seems to have embarked on  the Ferris wheel of the circus spinning endlessly till today .

In November 2022, in replacement of Verint, Government of Mauritius ordered surveillance equipment from PertSol India Private Limited specialised in lawful interception and monitoring systems. One of the flagship products of the company is their PertSol iLocator , a location intelligence platform which captures, analyzes, and visualizes geospatial data. Interestingly PertSol solutions also integrate products from  the much controversial Juniper Networks. While the formal order was placed in November 2022, commissioning of equipment began March 2023. An important point which should be retained because its precisely during the commissioning of PertSol that  technicians came across unaccounted surveillance equipment at the Mauritius Telecom Exchange, Rose Hill. Strangely the “Moustass Leaks “ released in October 2024 stops abruptly with conversations having taken place in March 2023.

THE MODUS

Based on multipronged investigations, Capital Media has  reconstituted the puzzle. The above  illustration offers a comprehensive view of how the intrusion was carried out.

The initial reactions to the  first wave of “ Moustass Leaks “ was to question the authenticity of the recordings as the encryption offered by platforms such as WhatsApp was until then religiously believed. Today’s recording technologies are no longer confined to traditional phone lines. They now capture voice and text communications across a wide array of platforms including WhatsApp, WeChat, Microsoft Teams, and virtually every other messaging or conferencing tool. This cross-platform integration ensures that no conversation escapes the net. The systems have evolved into powerful surveillance tools capable of capturing, analyzing, and transcribing conversations with unprecedented precision.

At the core of these systems lies advanced voice analytics powered by artificial intelligence. These tools support surveillance platforms with real-time pattern recognition, sentiment analysis, and anomaly detection enabling operators to sift through vast volumes of audio data with surgical precision. The result: enhanced situational awareness and faster response capabilities.

Manual audio review is both time-consuming and costly. By automating transcription and speaker segmentation, these systems dramatically reduce the burden on human analysts. Conversations are broken down by speaker, timestamped, and indexed making retrieval and analysis far more efficient.

Whether the audio originates from a mobile app, a desktop platform, or a cloud-based service, automatic speech recognition (ASR) ensures accurate transcription. The system adapts to different acoustic environments and speaking styles, maintaining high fidelity across diverse sources.

THE FUNDING

As if the intrusion into privacy of  every citizen wasn’t outrageous enough, it is now established that public funds were utilised to finance the unauthorised and unaccounted surveillance equipment. A vast majority of the technology was acquired under the camouflage of equipment for Cellplus Mobile Communications Ltd, subsidiary of Mauritius Telecom Group.  Which leads us to question the role played by then Head of Procurement and  the almighty Chief Executive Officer .

Mauritius Telecom – Network Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

As Mauritius positions itself as a digital hub and financial gateway, critical questions loom over the integrity of its telecommunications backbone. Beneath the surface of high-speed connectivity and modern infrastructure lies a network architecture riddled with potential vulnerabilities many of which remain unaddressed and unaudited. Various seasoned professionals queried by Capital Media are unanimous on the critical vulnerabilities currently prevalent within the Network infrastructure. Given the involvement of the primary telecommunications provider, data security challenges should be a national concern and utmost priority for the government .

At the heart of the nation’s telecom system lies the Huawei Core Network, responsible for authentication protocols, data routing, and subscriber databases. Despite its central role in managing sensitive user data, this core operates with minimal transparency and lacks independent security audits. The absence of robust oversight creates latent access points potential gateways for data compromise, surveillance, or manipulation.

The stakes rise dramatically when one considers the nature of the data flowing through these networks. Communications between government ministries, regulatory bodies, and financial institutions navigate through  segments of the network that may lack adequate encryption or real-time monitoring. This exposes critical national operations to interception risks, undermining both sovereignty and trust in digital governance.

The Huawei Radio infrastructure powering 4G and 5G base stations across Mauritius introduces another layer of concern. Firmware embedded in these systems may harbour exploitable vulnerabilities, offering malicious actors a pathway to intercept mobile communications, track user activity, or disrupt services. Without rigorous firmware validation and patching protocols, the radio layer remains a soft target.

Mauritius’s connection to the global internet relies heavily on submarine cable systems its international gateways. These undersea links, while essential for global commerce and financial transactions, also represent strategic points for  “Real” data exfiltration. In the absence of robust encryption and traffic anomaly detection, the nation’s digital exports including sensitive financial flows could be silently siphoned off.

These vulnerabilities are not just technical oversights they are systemic blind spots that demand urgent attention. As Mauritius continues to digitize its governance and economy, the integrity of its telecom infrastructure must be treated as a matter of national security. Independent audits, encryption mandates, and firmware transparency are not optional they are foundational safeguards in a digital age.

THE BREWING STORM

While re-establishing our Network integrity rebuilding trust should have been the utmost priority,  the current government is engaged into its usual petty theatrics with many of the advisors ( both official & unofficial) trying hard to playdown the whole issue with deliberate attempts to divert public attention.  Friedrich Nietzsche, one  of the brilliant minds to have graced our world believed “The majority of men prefer delusion to truth. It soothes. It is easy to grasp. Above all, it fits more snugly than the truth into a universe of false appearances—of complex and irrational phenomena, defectively grasped.”  Obviously, no one would expect Dr Navin Ramgoolam to master such complex technicalities but his averments at the national assembly  in response to questions relating to, phone tapping and Safe City Project clearly indicate that the  Prime Minister has  chosen delusion over truth. Elementary common sense would have been sufficient to conclude, neither the so called “Sniffing” in April 2022 nor the commissioning of PertSol in March 2023 could have  tapped his conversations back in 2019. Despite being naturally suspicious, Navin Ramgoolam is blatantly being driven  in the dark by his close aides  devotedly running errands for the ones we ought to be chasing. No serious action is being taken neither to take to task those  responsible for such despicable crime nor to ensure the safety of an increasingly important Netwotk Integrity. A  slackness which will soon come to haunt the country over again.

The post THE SNOOP DOGS appeared first on Capital.

Ce que dit la loi – L’article 9 A de la Law Practitioners Act 1984 est sans ambiguïté :

• seul un avocat inscrit au barreau peut être nommé Senior Counsel ;
• seul un avoué peut être nommé Senior Attorney ;
• et cela, après au moins 15 ans de pratique.

Les « law officers » n’y figurent pas. Or, à l’article 9B, le législateur mentionne expressément les « law practitioners » (avocats, avoués, notaires) et les « law officers » comme deux catégories distinctes. Leur absence à l’article 9A ne peut qu’être volontaire : ils sont exclus du champ d’application.

Les « law officers » sont des postes statutaires, non des avocats – Les  « law officers » sont régis  par la Law Officers Act 1957. Leur hiérarchie est fixée par l’annexe de cette loi : Solicitor-General, Parliamentary Counsel, State Counsel, State Attorney, etc. Ce sont des fonctions de l’État, non des titres professionnels du barreau. Ainsi, un « Senior Assistant Parliamentary Counsel » n’est pas « Counsel » ni « Senior Counsel » : il est simplement titulaire d’une fonction administrative prévue par la loi. Lui attribuer le titre de SC revient à mélanger deux régimes juridiques distincts.

L’article 7 de la Law Officers Act ne peut pas être dévoyé – Certains invoquent l’article 7 de la Law Officers Act, selon lequel les law officers « jouissent des droits et privilèges d’un barrister ». Mais cette disposition doit être lue en cohérence avec la loi elle-même.

• Elle leur accorde uniquement le droit de plaider devant les tribunaux (right of audience).
• Elle ne les transforme pas en avocats inscrits au barreau.
• Elle ne leur confère pas les privilèges professionnels réservés aux barristers, tels que la possibilité de choisir ou refuser des dossiers, de fixer leurs honoraires ou de bâtir une pratique indépendante.

Or, les « law officers » ne commandent pas de briefs. Ils n’agissent jamais pour des clients privés : ils plaident exclusivement pour l’État, sur instructions hiérarchiques.

Un problème hiérarchique absurde – La hiérarchie des law officers est claire : Attorney-General → Solicitor-General → Parliamentary Counsel → adjoints et assistants → State Counsel. Si l’on confère le titre de SC à un junior – comme ici un Senior Assistant Parliamentary Counsel – sans que le Parliamentary Counsel ne le soit, on inverse cet ordre. En audience, le junior, en tant que SC, prendrait place sur le premier banc du barreau, devant son propre supérieur. C’est une situation incohérente et contraire à la structure fixée par le législateur.

Pourquoi cela mine le système ? Le titre de Senior Counsel n’est pas un simple droit procédural de plaidoirie. C’est une distinction professionnelle au sein du barreau, réservée à ceux qui, après des années de pratique indépendante, ont acquis l’autorité et la reconnaissance de leurs pairs. Les « law officers » eux, sont des fonctionnaires et leur légitimité vient de leur fonction étatique, non d’une pratique libre et indépendante. Les élever au rang de SC revient à brouiller la frontière entre deux mondes que la loi a volontairement séparés.

Déjà contestée pour son opacité, la liste des SC devient intenable avec l’inclusion de law officers. C’est contraire à l’article 9A de la Law Practitioners Act, incompatible avec la Law Officers Act, et cela dénature le sens même de « Senior Counsel ». La nomination des « law officers » doit être suspendue. Car tant qu’aucune réforme législative n’est votée, nommer des law officers comme SC demeure un acte ultra vires, et une atteinte à la crédibilité de la profession comme au respect de l’État de droit.

The post Nomination des « Law Officers » comme Senior Counsel appeared first on Capital.

Why it should matter ?

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has over the last 4 years underlined the momentous strain faced by governments across the world to drawing and maintaining of  trust in public institutions.    The relevance is such that OECD has gone to the extent of conducting annual surveys on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions. Apart from the global challenges namely : environmental transition, geopolitical tensions and social consequences of economic development, countries like Mauritius are facing indigenous constraints of their own which drag down the level of trust in institutions and ultimately in governments.

A threat to democracy

To a large extent the current decay can be reasonably attributed to  effects from years of neoliberalism. By limiting the role of our institutions  to establishing conditions necessary for exercising of  private property rights and free markets, neoliberalism has weakened the mechanisms enabling the good functioning of democracy. Thinkers such as Thomas Piketty and Nobel prize recipient Joseph Stiglitz convincingly affirm, decades of neoliberalism has resulted in considerable deterioration of economic and social inequality, fostering fatalism and populist identity drifts. The happy few  use their influence to shape policies further to benefit their interests, entrenching their power and hindering democratic processes.

Another deep-rooted cause of the blatant decadence is what contemporary thinkers define as  Political Moral Laxity. Which is the tolerance of dishonesty and corrupt practices by people entrusted with political or administrative power. All their actions benefit private interests to the detriment of public welfare. As the euphoria of last November fades away, countrymen are waking up to the reality of continued ineffectiveness,  prevalence of nepotism and corruption which generate a collective sense of helplessness, anomie and distrust of the political system. Further to distorting of democratic values, years of systemic political inefficiency and  institutional failure have pushed people to the limits of survival.

The noxious status-quo

The ongoing investigations involving  high ranking police officers are  far from addressing the real issues affecting the police force. Deeply rooted, the evil has the ability to react instantly to any possible threat and ensure the continuity of  organised criminal activities ranging from, racketeering, money laundering, smuggling to  drugs trafficking . While the widely covered investigations into swindling of hundreds of millions of “Reward Money” by its  officers can sustain the perception of the police force being the most corrupt institution, the fact is that the daily media reports  only expose the  visible tip of a wider crime industry valued in billions.

Public trust in institutions erode due to manipulation by politicians with a specific partisan or personal objective. Actions such as directing investigations, prosecutions, or other actions to target political opponents or protect interest of cronies, undermine the credibility of these institutions .   The Bank of Mauritius (BOM), Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM), Financial Services Commission (FSC), Financial intelligence Unit ( FIU), Financial Crime Commission (FCC), Economic Development Board (EDB) and State Law Office (SLO)  top the chart of institutions which often turn rogue. Lack of results coupled with cases like  Alvaro Sobrinho, Glen Agliotti, Peter Uricek, and many others are there to justify the despair and anger of tax payers. We  do wonder what happened to cases handled by the same FCC officials as at 11^th November 2024. The midnight execution of BAI stands as another  vivid evidence of how institutions can be weaponised to meet political objectives.

Some might argue, such mishaps are due to incompetency or inadvertence, as in the case of  Anushka Bogdanov whose services were  retained by the SEM  to share expertise on diligence, sustainability and ethics. Early July 2025, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)  imposed a R500,000 fine and a 10-year directorship ban on Anushka Bogdanov, a former non-executive director of EOH Holdings for having fabricated  a PhD in International Finance from the London Business School. Anushka Bogdanov was found  in breach of  Listing Requirements namely lack of integrity and ethical standards. But considering the track record of the SEM with particular focus on cases namely :  New Mauritius Hotels (NMH) and United Investment Limited (UIL),  it would be fair to say that on its own it  is far more bogus than its partners.

It is surely not by  inadvertence that the Governor of the Central Bank, also Chairman of the FSC has during the press conference where he deemed appropriate to talk about his childhood and family,  maintained silence over EU sanctioned, Red Bird Corporate Services Ltd, ( subsidiary of ABC Group). A governor seen cheering energetically the merger of ENL & Rogers as if he never did leave his former employer.  When all institutions muster to serve the interest of their sacred cows, then its hard to deny the existence of a state within the state. A parallel dimension which absorbs every single resource of the country and where those at the helm of institutions run errands for their masters.

With prominent members of  the government openly claiming, political affinity should be a criteria during selection process, appointment of officials is indeed an area of concern for the public. As experienced over the last days, public  exasperation will only lead to widespread relentless commotion. The recent appointment of Law officers from the SLO to the rank of  Senior Counsels does rub salt to the bloodily  wounds. Hard to understand how mere Law Officers (unlike independent registered barristers), acting on behalf of their office,   who have moreover  participated in drafting of laws deemed unconstitutional, abetted and fended  positions politically motivated be bestowed with such high attribution. No wonder the leach from the decay stinks.

With : a) Enforcement agencies failing to curb drug trafficking b) monopoly players turned economists prescribing  budgetary measures strengthening the shadow economy, c) oligarchs  accelerating concentration of economic power, d) senior ministers & media striving to perdure  hegemony of  the Energy Cartel and  e)  government pimping its strategic assets, obviously amidst such dark fog, change is hard to be seen, leaving only despair to be felt.

While envoys of the government would rush to quote “Rome was not built in a day” , they do deliberately ignore the fact that Rome also,  did not fall in a day. Its destruction followed years of unattended decay and growing distrust. The fall of Rome beautifully captured by the last great Roman satirist, Juvenal (127 AD) who with his legendary savage wit asked  “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” ( Who will guard the guards). Even today, ensuring,  those entrusted with oversight are themselves acting responsibly, without abusing their power is a conundrum for our society. From government to corporates, the question remains more than ever, relevant.

The post THE ETERNAL QUESTION appeared first on Capital.

The décor  

Back in 2018, the United Investments Limited embarked on  splitting of its activities based on the rationale that Regulatory requirements had become increasingly stringent and the company had to take bold  measures as to meet the aspirations of its shareholders. Michel Rivalland, CEO of UIL had back then affirmed that “The segregation of our financial and non-financial portfolio is being carried out in a way which not only preserves existing shareholder value, but also unlocks latent value”.

The exercise resulted in restructuring AXYS as a pure financial services company which would further develop its financial services offerings as to include integrated wealth solutions for private clients. While the other offspring, OXIA would focus on acquiring stakes in companies, furthering their development and exiting at an opportune moment. Over the last 5 years a  myriad of entities has been created across various sectors and  reaching out to distant places such as the snowy mountains of Switzerland or  the shores of Panama.

The current proposal as depicted in the explanatory notes can be summarised as a two-fold exercise. The first one  being the acquisition of shares held in UIL by Michel  Rivalland and Didier Merven through Goldstream Ltd, secondly the Management Buy Out ( MBO) of AXYS by Alternativ Capital Investments Ltd ( ACI), an entity mustering key members of current AXYS management, also share holders of the company and a consortium of foreign investors. The whole deal will be wrapped as a Share Swapping with a financial implication of approximately MUR 1 billion. The narrative accompanying the proposal emphasises on the interest of shareholders “given that it is in the context of the realisation of UIL’s investments in its financial services subsidiaries which will result in reduction of its debt exposure and increasing the remaining shareholders stake in UIL”. At first sight absolutely nothing abnormal in this Swap deal, though some do tend, rightly so, to believe that the corporate world shares strange resemblance with a Swingers Club.

The Axys of deceit

The explanatory notes on the proposal  are on their own are an amazing piece of reading and of evidence. Digging even further into the previous financial statements and company literature, unless blinded by some obscure interest, hard disturbing facts should be obvious.

While the primary purpose of  financial statements is to illustrate the  condition and activities of a company during the fiscal year enabling  users of the financial statements to predict future cash flows of the company, one may tend to believe the statements of UIL and its entities were cooked  by a celebrity Chef. The statements do provide solid argumentation to critics of the fair value approach who fancy hard facts rather than estimates which could easily be erroneous or intentionally manipulated. Guess no one has ever heard of ENRON!

Speaking of lesson, the current turmoil stirred by the collapse of US based  workspace provider WeWork should be one of them. The much hyped start up, recently valued at USD 47 billion went crashing, resulting in massive losses for  investors. Yet the warning signs were flashing at all times. Pointing at  market crisis, wrong business model or poor management would be an even greater blunder. As in many cases, it is the side personal ventures of those at the helm of management, self-serving of funds from subsidiaries, loans ditched beneath the rug, self-attributing franchise costs and absurd fees which lead to chaos.

It is an undisputable fact that under the leadership of Didier Merven and Michel Rivalland  the share price of UIL which at some point stood at MUR 11 plummeted to MUR 5  and crippled the company with unprecedented debt. The restructuring of 2018 has resulted in a major disaster and the proposed way forward might well be a greater one. Severe critics by minority shareholders  have been levelled against the  modus proposed and approved by the concerned parties themselves.

The  buyback of 20,162,513 shares held by both Michel Rivalland and Didier Merven in UIL at a price of MUR 8.38 does raise eyebrows. More so since the Explanatory Notes signed by chairman Didier Merven himself does underline that the highest market price stood at MUR 6.70 while the average was MUR 4.49. The latest financial reports do indicate a debt of MUR 2.5 billion and if we were to dispose of the 204 million shares ( representing the total number of shares)  at the current value of MUR 5, it would be fair and realistic to state  that the group had gone bust. A dissenting voice from shareholders even goes to the extent of stating that  billions raised from investors was spread across a web of companies operating in a way which matches the description depicted by  experts from Singapore based nTan – Ponzi Like.

In the build up of its case justifying the introduction of CSG, the government had stressed  on the impotency of the Nation Pension Fund (NPF) to provide for future needs due to sterile investments. The absolute pitch black darkness on the whereabouts  of the MUR 150 billion is outrageously beyond any sound reasoning. The UIL story is a perfect illustration of the serious mismanagement of the NPF, thereby validating public intrusion in this bacchanalian party.

A careful study of financial reports would enable a proper understanding of how from 2014 to 2022 the NPF has subscribed to bonds issued by different entities of the UIL group. In fact, the issuer of the bonds subscribed by NPF has been shifted onto various companies. From UIL Ltd to Axys Ltd, from Axys Ltd to UIL Bis Ltd then later on, from UIL Bis Ltd to Oxia Ltd. What initially started as a MUR 400 million investment ended up to MUR 1,450 M. We observe in the notes to the financial statement that  “The new subscription amount of Rs.1,450M has a maturity date of September 30, 2024 and is linked to the realisation of the Company’s investment in Attitude Hospitality Ltd” . Apart from the MUR 1 billion glossy image,  Attitude Hospitality Ltd only real value lies in its  48,74%  shares held in Attitude Property Ltd . A holding whereby the NPF holds 11,12% shares. It would be fascinating  to hear out the arguments of the members of the NPF investment Committee and in particular its Director Veenay Rambarassah. Moreover the Attitude Hospitality Ltd has also availed an assistance of MUR 500 million from the Mauritius Investment Corporation. Again backed by thin air.

It is hard not to admire the  brilliance of Michel Rivalland and Didier Merven in their attempt to wriggle out of sinking ship. By acquiring Axys companies and Spice Finance for MUR 950 million they would walk away with the unicorn leaving behind the donkey. As for UIL shareholders, though happy to see the back of Rivalland and Merven, they still would be left with a liability book of MUR 2.5 billion adding on to the multiple layers of debt carefully camouflaged within each individual company. Amateurs of  British humour might  well define UIL as United In Loss.

While it is up to the shareholders of UIL to investigate  the possible cannibalisation of their business, the responsibility of ensuring proper compliance to laws and safeguarding public interest is the sacrosanct duty of regulators and enforcement agencies. One of their main concern should be funds poured into the economy by crime syndicates both locally and from regional countries. If decades ago crime syndicates  favoured laundering through informal activities, they now have evolved multi fold, using  sophisticated mechanism and seasoned professionals to serve their mission. One of such crime syndicate investing massively in our real estate, healthcare and financial services originates from Madagascar. With our institutions busy snoring when they are not  rolling out the red carpet for the likes of Glen Agliotti or Peter Uricek, glorious days lie ahead for the crime syndicate and white collar crooks.

The post THE GETAWAY appeared first on Capital.

The ongoing legal tussle between Financial Intelligence Unit and Danesh Ellayah, former Chief Operating Officer of Huawei, has exposed bewildering evidence of a nexus not only looting public funds but also depriving the very same public of their fundamental rights.  With Danesh Ellayah compelled to admit through means of an affidavit, that the hundreds of millions stashed his company’s bank account are the proceeds of a transaction between DNS Consult and the government of Mauritius, the logical question that follows relates to the nature of the transaction itself. Capital brings to you exclusive details of technology supplied by a company considered as one  of the world’s greatest threat to democracy and  used by the Jugnauth government to spy on countrymen.

While Pegasus, spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group or ‘Infections’  conceived by Nexa Technologies  occupy the centre stage due to international media outcry , citizens of Mauritius should focus on another US-Israeli company,  Verint Systems. The company  is an undisputed key player in the global surveillance industry, providing its clients with advanced software designed to monitor various forms of communication. Over the last years, reports have revealed  Verint’s substantial presence in Latin American and African countries. Verint Systems  is being accused by Human Rights Organisations  of having provided information which has facilitated assassination of political opponents, journalists and social activists with one of the countries being Sudan.

As in the case of Huawei’s Safe City Project,  Verint solutions package was initially offered to the government of Madagascar back in 2014. Uncertainties and internal issues amongst the close aides of the President of Madagascar led to middlemen shifting their focus onto the freshly elected government in Mauritius. With the Jugnauth government intending to wipe off all possible dissent, establishing undisputed rule coupling with the insatiable crave of the middlemen , what followed can be reasonably described as a natural process in a state gone rogue.

The Verint package consists of a blend of 3 controversial components namely: Skylock, a full blown geo localisation system which boasts of an  extensive range of features, including real-time location tracking, interception of mobile communications, and passive GSM monitoring. It offers operational agencies the ability to retrieve subscribers’ locations globally, even in the case of inbound roamers and foreign countries.

ENGAGE PI2 which  passively records all traffic transmitted between Base Transmitting Stations (BTSs) and mobile stations, allows for wide-band interception covering GSM 900 and 1800 Bands. It can handle up to 120 simultaneous calls and SMSs and offers full recording of all intercepted traffic for future use. The system also offers a  feature for Speaker Identification which adds another layer to surveillance.

ENGAGE GI2  a portable solution designed for field operations, which  enables the detection, control, interception, and location of GSM and UMTS phones. Equipped with powerful amplifiers and antennas, it supports simultaneous multiple targeting.

While David Sarfati, Director of  Cyber Intelligence Solutions underlines in  Verint’s offer that all the proposed components do not require any connectivity to local operators and are undetectable by them, Capital confirms that devices were indeed connected to Mauritius Telecom network at 4 sites : Orleans Exchange, Floreal Exchange, Rose Belle Exchange and Riviere du Rempart Exchange. These operations were willingly facilitated by senior cadres of Mauritius Telecom expressly delegated by then CEO  of the company. The two foreign facilitators were  Sam Rabin and Uri Weil , both former  Israeli operatives currently  working for Verint.

Far from merely exploiting the SS7 (Signaling System Number 7) protocols to perform location tracking and communications interception, the Verint package is a comprehensive arsenal, any rogue state would cherish. One of the salient features of Verint’s package is its cutting-edge Speech Analytics engines which enable tracking down of targets merely by using 60 seconds of  voice print database. The ability to track virtually any network subscriber worldwide ( with the exception of US & Israeli subscribers), even without GPS-enabled devices, raises concerns about mass surveillance.

The most pressing concern is the blatant invasion of privacy facilitated by Verint’s technologies. These systems have the capacity to intercept telephone calls, text messages, emails, chats, and even track internet usage history. Such comprehensive monitoring encroaches on the very essence of personal privacy and infringes upon an individual’s right to maintain a private sphere of communication. This level of access can be exploited for purposes beyond the originally intended ones. Fundamental rights, such as the right to privacy, are at risk. Citizens have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their communications and movements. Technology acquired by the Jugnauth Government does  infringe upon fundamental  rights, as it allows for detailed tracking without consent. The risk of misuse is real and so is the targeting of dissent. This poses a direct threat to free speech and democracy. As rightly underlined in a study by the Think Tank of the European Parliament “ The proliferation of new and emerging technologies over the past two decades has significantly expanded states’ toolkit for repression and social control, deepening human rights problems. While these technologies still have the potential to positively enhance democratic values and human rights, they are now also actively deployed and shaped by many repressive regimes to their own strategic advantage”.

Other concerns relate to absence of judicial process paving way for blackmailing, coercion, and discrimination. Forking out billions to spy on debt ridden tax payers while the country lacks investment in basic amenities, is a definite crime which the government will have to be held accountable. Moreover if it does make any sense to purchase such technology to combat crime, then how could the Prime Minister possibly explain the need to rout such an order through Danesh Ellayah, a party devoid of knowledge about the technology and yet charges a mark up of  100% of the contract value? A modus consistently applied in major projects such as MARS, Safe City etc.  However the interesting twist to the story is that amongst targets tracked there are trade unionists, journalists, political opponents and … members of cabinet. Some of these disturbing recordings might become handy for those seeking a safe passage to the shores of Dubai.

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European Commission Speech Dublin, 30 Sep 2022 “Harvesting the fruits of the digital age”
Introduction
Dia dhuit,
It’s a great pleasure to be here in Dublin – an old Viking city. Tomorrow is the first day of…

by : European Commission on 2022-09-30 12:30:07

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European Commission Press release Brussels, 01 Oct 2022 The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, several support measures in the context of the resolution of the Polish Getin Noble Bank S.A.

by : European Commission on 2022-10-01 06:54:08

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European Commission Press release Brussels, 27 Sep 2022 The High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on scaling up sustainable finance in low and middle-income countries meets in Brussels today for the first time

by : European Commission on 2022-09-26 22:00:00

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#Scaling #sustainable #finance #middleincome #countries #HighLevel #Expert #Group #kickstarts #work

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Friday 30 September 2022 15:15

by : European Securities and Markets Authority – Other bodies and agencies on 2022-09-30 13:15:12

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#Joint #Committee #Work #Programme

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