STATEMENT OF DR RICHARD L MUNISAMY TO THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION
Made on the 19th Day of December 2011.
It is my ardent belief that the Jugnauth family have violated the Prevention of Corruption Act 2002 (POCA). The statements that follow fall into one of three categories:
- Things that I have witnessed first hand or that are available as public records.
- Things that I have been told by first hand witnesses.
- Beliefs that consistently explain the the collection statements in the above categories.
Where appropriate, I make the distinction between these three categories, however, it is the responsibility of the Commission to verify their veracity.
Paddy Ashdown was leader of the UK Liberal Democrat Party from 1988 to 1999. At some point in 1998/9, he visited Mauritius and the British High Commission hosted a reception for him. At that time my father, Pitambarum Munisamy, was a City Councillor for Gloucester, UK, a former candidate for Parliament and a member of the said party. He attended that event and became acquainted with Sir Anerood Jugnauth (SAJ). One or two years later, after SAJ had become Prime Minister, my father met him in his office and presented him written material on the subject of proportional representation.
In 2001, I visited Mauritius on holiday and on November 12, made an application for Registration as a Citizen of Mauritius. Five months later, the response (copy attached), dated 10 April 2002, was sent to my grandmother’s house and I became aware of it when I visited Mauritius in September that year. The application was rejected on the basis that I had “not stayed continuously for a period of 3 years in Mauritius prior to [my] application”. I believe that this decision was unconstitutional and was part of a conspiracy by the Jugnauth family, probably in collusion with the staff of the Prime Minister’s office, to extract gratification in return for granting applications like mine.
During the period from approximately September 2002 to November 2004, I resided in Mauritius for the purpose of being with my Grandmother during the last period of her life. In order to remain in Mauritius, it was necessary to set up a company and obtain both work and residence permits, which I did. Towards the end of February 2004, it became obvious that my grandmother was close to death and I requested that my father come from the UK to be by her side. She died in his arms a few days later on the 29th of February 2004. After the funeral, he returned to the UK.
Around Easter 2004, my father accompanied my son on his biannual holiday to Mauritius to be with me. During that visit I drove them both to le Reduit where my father met with SAJ. During this meeting, my father gave him a copy of my application for Registration as a Citizen of Mauritius. Neither I nor my son were invited into the President’s office but we were entertained by police officers in the grounds of the chateau. This is when I was first made aware of the parlous state of law and order in the country and how many officers of the police force are frustrated in their efforts to uphold the law and investigate crimes due to interference of a political nature.
By this time I had fallen in love with Mauritius and made the decision to remain here in order to change my father’s birthplace for the better. Hence, I applied myself to my business and transformed it into a consultancy to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). One objective was to persuade individuals of high net worth to invest in projects of the newly launched Integrated Resort Scheme.
In November 2004, I received an unsolicited phone call from one Henri Grignon who demonstrated that he knew information about me that was not easily available in the public domain. Intrigued, I met with him on 21.11.2004 at his residence in Floreal. During this meeting, among other things, he stated that he was related to the Jugnauth family and that an ancient and extensive network of freemasonry in Mauritius could be exploited to achieve results that would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible. He also asked me about the status of my application for nationality.
Over the course of the next few days, he developed a sophisticated confidence trick with his associate called Andrew. I was persuaded to pay them some Rs.220,000, under what turned out to be false pretences, that they would help me to achieve my personal and professional aspirations through “IT services”. On the day before I left for India on business in the last week of November 2004, Mr Grignon strongly encouraged me make an application for nationality. I explained that this was pointless as I still failed to meet the conditions that caused my first application to be rejected. However, he insisted, indicating that I should not worry about the criterion.
Just for the hell of it, I applied for Registration as a Citizen of Mauritius on my way to the airport the next day. For reasons beyond my control, I was not able to return to Mauritius for a year. However, when I did so, I discovered that my application had been accepted within one month and that the letter confirming this was dated 24.12.2004. To this day, I find this absolutely extra-ordinary and cannot explain it in the absence of some clandestine intervention.
Mr Grignon, failed to provide the IT services that he invoiced me for and I subsequently discovered that the prices he had charged were extortionate to the point of being fraudulent. When I complained to him he replied that I had received what I wanted and any claim against him would fail. Indeed, he asked me for at least another Rs.100,000 and somehow Barclays Bank had paid him an additional Rs.50,000 from the account of my company.
All things considered, I can only explain this most bizarre course of events by one of three possibilities:
Scenario 1
- The Jugnauth family made Mr Grignon aware of me.
- Mr Grignon was tasked with obtaining a payment from me in return for being registered as a Citizen of Mauritius, which he proceeded to disguise as business services.
- Once part payment had been received, the Jugnauth family facilitated my application.
Scenario 2
- Mr Grignon found out about me independently.
- He discovered that I wanted to be registered as a Citizen of Mauritius and sought payment from me, under the guise of providing business services.
- When part payment had been received, he used either his relationship or the network of freemasonry to influence the Jugnauth family to facilitate my application.
Scenario 3
- Mr Grignon found out about me independently and, while being a fraudster and con artist, was not materially involved in this act of corruption.
- His knowledge of my application for citizenship was a lucky guess and his insistence that I re-apply was an amazing coincidence.
- My father gratified the Jugnauth family to facilitate my registration as a Citizen of Mauritius.
Therefore, I accuse the Jugauth family and either Mr Grignon or my father of breaching the POCA and request that they be formally investigated by the Commission.
Past events on the propitious 17th Day of December. (“Beware the Ides of March” LOL 😉
211 – Publius Septimius Geta, co-emperor of Rome, is lured to come without his bodyguards to meet his brother Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla), to discuss a possible reconciliation. When he arrives the Praetorian Guard murders him and he dies in the arms of his mother Julia Domna.
324 – Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor.
1154 – Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey.
1776 – Thomas Paine publishes one of a series of pamphlets in the Pennsylvania Journal titled The American Crisis.
1777 – American Revolutionary War: George Washington’s Continental Army goes into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
1920 – King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander I of Greece and a plebiscite.
1924 – The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is sold in London, England.
1941 – World War II: Adolf Hitler becomes Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the German Army.
1946 – Start of the First Indochina War.
1963 – Zanzibar gains independence from the United Kingdom as a constitutional monarchy, under Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah.
1967 – Prime Minister of Australia Harold Holt is officially presumed dead.
1972 – Apollo program: The last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt, returns to Earth.
1975 – John Paul Stevens is appointed a justice of The United States Supreme Court.
1984 – The Sino-British Joint Declaration, stating that the People’s Republic of China would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and the United Kingdom would restore Hong Kong to China with effect from July 1, 1997 is signed in Beijing by Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher.
1998 – Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives forwards articles I and III of impeachment against President Bill Clinton to the Senate.
2001 – A record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.
Does the death of Kim Jong II count? 17 dec 2011
UPDATE:
On 2012.01.10 I was interviewed by two ICAC officers: Vishal Deepchand and Neeta Seenauth at the ICAC offices. In fact the meeting had been arranged to take place at my home but VD had received a message from an “unknown source” stating that I had informed them I would be coming to ICAC. I only found this out when I called the office to enquire what VD had not arrived at my home. It is difficult to understand how this was a “misunderstanding” as claimed by VD. More likely it was an attempt to obstruct the investigation. I had already accused Prakash Ghoora of doing the same to the police on the 3rd January (OB 14/12 at Fan Faron Police Station) when he refused to assist my son to make a statement on this matter the day before he was to return to the UK. Previously he had denied receiving the supporting evidence in this case by the link above, direct email and fax. Hence he asked me to deliver the evidence in person. I did so on 23rd December but he refused to accept the CD, stating that first that they had no printer (I pointed to one) and then no CD drives (I asked to see their computers but this was denied). There was a very heated argument involving between myself and all the office staff. Eventually they complied and accepted the CD. Interestingly, the supporting documents from both the link and the email were contained in the file. Prakash Ghoora you are f*cked!
Before making any statements, I asked VD if he had any conflicts of interest, He said no, I then pushed him and asked if he was a freemason. He again said no, but qualified it by saying that he had been approached by a now deceased (2 years) member of La Triple Esperance. He stated that this was a VIP and that he was offered membership of another lodge, not LTE because that was reserved for the elite of society. He had rejected the offer because he was aware of the conflict of interest that might arise between doing his duty as a member of ICAC and following the instructions of the masonic leaders. I accepted his word at face value. I asked him if he had ever been a police officer and he replied that he was a graduate of criminology of Leicester University, UK.
VD was investigating three of my cases and wanted me to make statements on them. The first was in relation to a complaint against Defi Media for not publishing my version of events in the Harish Boodhoo comedy, supported by their refusal to print a right of reply by the Anarchic Mauritian Front. The latter was sent to them in response to an article by Subash Goblin that equated anarchy with lawlessness. My statement accused the PMO of influencing Defi Media either by threat or reward to ensure that they gave me no positive publicity. This was supported by my belief that the PMO had orchestrated the boycott of l’Express by government departments and had ordered that no civil servants (including university lecturers) communicate with the media without seeking prior permission. A clear violation of freedom of speech?
The second was in relation to the affidavit that I had set to the Chief Justice in response to Harish Boodhoo’s allegations against me (copied to all the media organisations). I stated that I was not in a position to pursue this complaint until after BooHoo’s case had been heard on its merits on January 18th. If my affidavit was not taken into consideration then I would accuse Voodoo of corruptly influencing the Chief Justice. A nice sword of Damocles no?
The statement about the third case – my applications for citizenship was supposed to be based on an email sent to ICAC on 2011.12.31 which read as follows:
_________________
Dear ICAC investigators
One of my advisers has “suggested” that you investigate the following:
The first bit of evidence is the 10th April 2002 letter from L Mooneesawmy “I am directed to inform you that your application for Registration as a Citizen of Mauritius has not been approved, as you have not stayed continuously for a period of 3 years” is central to your allegation. You must insist that ICAC asks Mooneesawmy to reveal who ‘directed’ him, i.e. who made the decision, which in any case was based on completely erroneous grounds (the 3 year residency).
You must then insist that ICAC asks Mrs Radhakeesoon why she overturned Mooneesawmy’s decision and whether the 3 year residency ‘rule’ was taken into consideration. Mrs Radhakeesoon must be also asked to reveal who ‘directed’ her to in effect f*ck Mooneesawmy over, two years after his original decision.
Might it not also be prudent to investigate, ideally since independence, but certainly since the POCA came in to force, the grounds on which nationality has been granted to non-Mauritians and refused to Mauritians as in my case? In this way you would avoid any possible accusations that you have been paid off by the Jugnauth family in contravention of the POCA to sweep the matter under the carpet.
Please note that I was on the verge of reporting you to the Ombudsman for your consistent refusal to accept the additional evidence in the case (my web link, email, fax and cd) when the story was printed the head-line on the front page of Le Mauricien. Is it not rather peculiar that the story has not been followed up by the other media organisations? Perhaps you would like to investigate this too. How about making a formal press release? You can read my views on the matter below. Please take note of the first comment.
http://weluvmu.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/proof-of-the-franc-hoes-vice-like-grip-on-the-media
I hope for your sakes that you are not “in it together” with “them” because you may be coming to realise that a force is sweeping through Mauritius whose intent is to wipe out corruption once and for all. If legal mechanisms are so degraded as to render them useless, perhaps should you not consider the possibility that other means might be available? Please do NOT take this as a threat, it is certainly not my intent to intimidate you. Why not simply reflect on it when you are “safely” at home with your precious families?
On a more humorous note, check out this video produced by some like-minded associates. I love it, do you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTYKo-iyha8
Regards
Doctor Mu
A light is shining in the darkness, but the darkness cannot understand it. John 1:5
________________
This email had not been placed in the file, again implicating PG in obstructing the course of justice. Unable to recall the contents of the email, In my statement I requested ICAC to investigate the following:
1. Under whose instructions was my original application for citizenship rejected by the PMO?
2. Applications for citizenship made in the same period and the grounds on which they were accepted or rejected.
3. Under whose instructions was my second application granted (note both share the same file number) without referring to the error of the first and hence implicating the author of the first in the crime of violating the POCA – i.e. using his/her office for gain.
It humorous to note that the POCA came in to force on 2001.04.01 and the first rejection letter was signed on 2001.04. 10. So if it had been signed 10 days earlier ICAC would have had no jurisdiction to investigate this case. I added to my statement that I was intending to leave Mauritius for the UK on 2012.01.14 but that I was more than willing to assist with further enquiries and left contact details (phone, fax, email).
I response to a question from VD I stated (though it was not recorded) that I had not received any direct threats as a result of my activities except from Jam1000 PireAle and his merry apprentice masons. However, my “associates” have warned me that it is highly likely that the perpetrators of corruption in Mauritius would seek my death as an act of revenge once they realised that their own positions were untenable. Their ability to restrain themselves for the sakes of their families would likely be overcome by their blind rage. I did not state that it was for this reason I was being recalled to the UK for an unspecified period of time.
[Since the case is not yet sub judice, the above is being emailed to ICAC and copied to the media for information]