Vidarmen Payen, director of Ergomax, was brought before the Port-Louis court this Thurdsday. He was arrested yesterday by the Special Striking Team. He was released on bail of Rs 20,000 and an IOU of Rs 50,000. His name and that of his company have surfaced in recent days. Ergomax Ltd, according to the investigation into the sale of copper belonging to Mauritius Telecom, is alleged to have links with Sherry Singh, the former CEO of the organisation. The company is said to have benefited from a number of contracts, including the renovation of certain floors of the Telecom Tower in Port-Louis and the fitting out of several telecoms shops across the country. There are also allegations that the same company has been retained by Sherry Singh for the construction of certain residences.
Equipment belonging to Mauritius Telecom (MT), worth millions of rupees, was discovered on Wednesday June 7 in the village of Banane in the south of the country. The seizure was made by the men of the Special Striking Team (SST) of the police headquarters on a hunting ground occupied by Vidarmen Payen, 47, director of Ergomax Services Ltd, a company engaged in renovation and interior decoration. The company had been awarded several contracts to install Mugas across the country.
It was based on certain information that this SST team, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Ashik Jagai, landed on this vast site in the village of Banane with the support of a heavy deployment of men from the Special Mobile Force (SMF). Rolls of artificial turf, solar panels, several meters of metal fencing, planks, ceramic tiles and cut stones were discovered here. Some of these materials, identified by two MT executives, were to be used for the Mugas sports facilities.
Vidarmen Payen’s home in Albion and a hunting lodge he owns in Le Val were also searched, and the SST men seized several documents. After spending a night in a cell at the Alcatraz detention center in the Casernes Centrales, Vidarmen Payen was brought before the Mahébourg court on Thursday morning, June 8. He is facing a provisional charge of possession of stolen goods. Vidarmen Payen will have to explain the origin of these items on a property he manages.
