Mauritian Politics : The demise of Navin Ramgoolam

The demise of Navin Ramgoolam
by GDL






There is creole proverb which says "Penan ballon monter ki pas descendre".
                   
Unfortunately some like Navin Ramgoolam have always thought that once in power they will always be in power. Stephanie Anquetil, a firm admirer and follower of Navin Ramgoolam once told me that " Lambition de Navin est de battre le record de son pere et de REGNER sur l'ile Maurice."
 So this was the mindset of NR since he was made PM. Having got a good taste of power and the privileges attached to his position, he did not want to let go, let alone share these with anyone else. To be in power and stay in power, he has used others like the MMM, the PMSD, the MSM but more so he played on the emotions of the Hindus by always referring to his father SSR as the father of independent Mauritius. If his father has been a landmark of Mauritian politics, Navin never achieved the level. As mentioned above, he used others to be in power and once in power he made others work for him as he is well-known to be a lazy PM who took ages to make a decision. It is said that files keep piling on his desk, behind which he smoked his cigar.
Having been Prime Minister of Mauritius for 15 years, he has enjoyed to the fullest the many advantages by way of travelling,( the Business  class of Mk was like his private room) partying, cocktail, women, private parties, dinner caviar and champagne in the best hotels in Mauritius and abroad. He said that he has class and wears Rolex watch, drives Rolls Royce and Aston Martin. He was such a womaniser that he was called "le demon de minuit" as he visited the women (married or not, at night far from the public eyes.( At least that's what he thought !).
Navin was kicked out of power in 2000 following a Macarena party and other "scandals" but managed to come back in 2005 after running a vicious communal campaign against Paul Berenger.
When back as PM in 2005, he restarted  his "belle vie" again while making Rama Sithanen doing all the work. In 2010 he would have been kicked out of power if the MSM of the Jughnuth did not come to his rescue. Not listening to the warning of the electors in 2010, and blinded by his natural instinct of enjoying and making the most of his position, he continued more that before to the extent of now having an official  mistress to whom he gave undue favours at the expense of taxpayers money. The women consequently became very very powerful where all doors were opened to her. The airport of Mauritius was virtually her private property to the extent that she did not even pay the rent for all the shops she had there. She now owns a mansion in Floreal and apartments in Venise and Milan with the blessing of his master Navin. There had also many doggy transactions under Navin's reign where corruptions were at their best. He favoured other friends and ministers and made them millionaires. Navin must have been warned by some of his good friends, like Stephanie, that he was going a bit too far but he was so sure that he would get re-elected that he did not care less. When the elections were getting close the NIU reported  to him that " zafaire pas bon". So he had to find a new strategy. He managed to fish a shark (requin) Paul Berenger and the MMM, with a big bait ( post of PM) but that was like giving crumbs to the dogs; he would be President with full power for seven years. This is where he thought that he would break his father's record and continue to reign over Mauritius as Stephanie related.
Well, well, on 10 December 2014, the fortunes of Navin turned into nightmare. The people rejected him and his party totally and hence started his misfortunes. Meanwhile "la siren" smelling the rat had fled the country with a huge sum of money. The police says it could be around Rs800 million.
The police meanwhile was reopening the Roches Noires affair. There are many corroborative statements from witnesses that Navin Ramgoolam was at his bungalow on the night of the burglary. It is even reported  he hosted the "soiree mondaine" alongside his mistress Nandanee Soornack.
It is therefore obvious, on the basis of the eye witnesses that Navin had lied and misled parliament while replying to a PNQ of the leader of the opposition. Misleading parliament is indeed a serious offence but he did not care less and he was at the time above the law. He was untouchable and was allowed anything and everything under the Mauritians sun: Navin le tout puissant. But he was at the same time viewed by the people  as a dictator, a despot, an immoral person, un adulter.
His worries became worse when lately the police found millions and millions of bank notes at his Riverwalk residence. Navin was consequently questioned, arrested and brought before the courts. He is accused of perverting the course of justice and money laundering.
Whether he will be sentenced to prison or not remains to be seen as many do not have faith in the Mauritian justice system, rightly or wrongly. But the people of Mauritius have already judged and sentence him once on the 10th of December 2014 by kicking him out of government and not electing him in his seat. With the advent of he millions found at his place, he has again been tried by the media, and the people of Mauritius have completely written him off.  People now realised  how bad a PM he was and the extent of corruptions, cover up, copinage, nepotism, cronyism which occurred under his reign.                                                                                                                                 


There is an end to everything and this is the end of Navin Ramgoolam. The end of the lion's reign; he is now but a lion "empaille" as said SAJ lately.
Ballon Navin finn eclater au plasir de tout citoyen honetre.
GDL