In 16 months: The State spent Rs 2 million on trips for Dass Appadu

In less than a year and a half, the foreign trips of the former Secretary of the President has cost taxpayers a substantial sum. The bill could have been costlier had the tickets and accommodation not been often settled by the organisers of these events. Among them, the Planet Earth Institute of Alvaro Sobrinho.

In 16 months, the foreign trips of Dass Appadu, the former Secretary of the President, cost Rs 2 million to the State. A sum spent on 21 trips, during which he accompanied the President of the Republic, Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim. The details were revealed in a document tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, following a question from Rajesh Bhagwan at the meeting of April 4.

The journeys cover the period June 2015-October 2016. Of the 21 trips made with the President of the Republic, two cost more than Rs 200,000. The first was on the occasion of a United Nations conference in London, from June 18 to 26, 2015. This mission cost Rs 205,657.18 to the government that paid all the costs. The second is a trip to Ethiopia from January 28 to February 2, 2016 for the African Heads of State and Government – CEO Investment Summit. This time, the State disbursed Rs 234,819.20.

What also attracts attention in the document filed is the number of missions where airline tickets and accommodation have been settled by the organizers, but they would have cost Rs 100,000 to the State. The reason being that a “subsistence allowance" is paid to the traveller. Thus, Dass Appadu collected Rs 100,184 as subsistence allowance for a United Nations event in New York held between 23 and 29 June 2015.

This was again the case in 11 to 15 October 2015, in Paris for the Women's Forum in Deauville. He received Rs 100,515.25 as subsistence allowance for five days spent in Paris. The Rs 100,000 threshold has been reached on other occasions, such as at the Annual Africa Global Business Forum November 16-18, 2015 in Dubai: Rs 93,101.40 were spent for Dass Appadu.

State supports Appadu’s attendance of PEI events

Of the 21 trips during which Dass Appadu accompanied the President, three are related to the Planet Earth Institute (PEI) of the Angolan businessman Alvaro Sobrinho. The State partially financed these trips. The first is for a Board meeting of the IAP, held from 27 March to 6 April 2016 in London. The IEP paid for the accommodation and airfare of the Secretary of the President, but the government still had to disburse Rs 114,601.79. Then, from 5 to 24 September 2016, the State disbursed Rs 96,967.73 for the South African Nordic Centre Conference (SANORD) in Sweden, followed by a detour to London for a new Board meeting of the PEI. It was SANORD who settled the bill. Finally, from September 14 to 18, 2016, Dass Appadu went to Washington for the Ocean Conference. Once more, PEI paid the airfare and accommodation. The State, on the other hand, disbursed Rs 118,650.18 for his stay.

Private Television

Pravind Jugnauth: “We will soon turn it into reality”

“Just as we have made the broadcast of parliamentary debates a reality, we will do the same for private television.” This statement was made by the Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth in his reply to a question from opposition MP Adil Ameer Meea in the National Assembly on Tuesday. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to allow the emergence of private television during its mandate. In addition to the political will of the various ruling governments, there is a major obstacle to the 20% share restriction imposed on companies or foreigners in the equity participation of a company running a private television channel.

“We believe that this 20% threshold is too low,” said Pravind Jugnauth. He therefore proposes to revise it “in order to attract more candidates and especially foreigners for an application for a license for a private television”.

The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Act already stipulates conditions for obtaining a license, but “in reply to parliamentary questions from 2008, the Prime Minister of the day had repeatedly asserted that one of the factors preventing the advent of private television is section 19 (3) (h) of the IBA Act which restricts the limit of foreign ownership to 20%,” added the Prime Minister.

But before amending the law, it is necessary to merging the IBA with the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA), “in order to adapt to the convergence of technologies.” The merger process has already begun, but major amendments to the legislation are required. Technical and technological issues will also need to be resolved, including the types of licenses to be issued and penalties imposed on those who violate the law.

An interdepartmental committee, chaired by a senior official from the Office of the Prime Minister, was established to work on the Broadcasting and Communications Authority Bill.

The Prime Minister revealed that in 2013 and 2014, four companies had sent letters of intent to the IBA. On January 29, 2014, the then IBA director had decided to invite those interested for a private television channel that would only broadcast movies, sports and entertainment programs to come forward, but no demonstration Interest was finally recorded.

Question on SMS Pariaz

One bet too many from opposition

“Go ask Ajay Gunness. Go ask Ajay Gunness,” uttered an angry Pravind Jugnauth to opposition MP Rajesh Bhagwan. The latter managed make the Prime Minister lose his temper during the question time on SMS Pariaz. The reason: The opposition MP talked about “incestuous relations” between Jean-Michel Lee Shim, owner of SMS Pariaz, who is a MSM financier, and Raouf Gulbul, Chairman of the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), an unreturned MSM candidate during the last general elections.

The latter “is a close friend” of Jean-Michel Lee Shim, argued Rajesh Bhagwan, before saying that Raouf Gulbul was the bookmaker’s lawyer in a court case. For him, there is clearly a conflict of interest.

“What the member of parliament is saying makes no sense,” said the Prime Minister, before referring to Ajay Gunness, Secretary General of the MMM. The latter allegedly flew to his brother-in-law’s rescue when the latter was caught drink driving by the police in Flic-en-Flac on Saturday night.

“Ajay Gunness obstructed the police from carrying out their duty,” added the Prime Minister. “Protecting drunken drivers. Shame on you”.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Maya Hanoomanjee, managed to restore the calm, after many calls for order, but that was a very short respite. Pravind Jugnauth explains that SMS Pariaz was granted its betting licence in 2002. The leader of the MMM, Paul Bérenger, was then Finance Minister.

Paul Bérenger went wild with both sides having a go at each other. “You want me to suspend work. Let’s try to have some discipline in the room,” ordered Maya Hanoomanjee.