On Monday 7th June 2021, former director of Central Electricity Board (CEB), Shamshir Mukoon, has been granted bail of Rs 50,000 in the St. Louis power plant case.
He had been charged on 3rd June 2021 at the District Court of Curepipe on a provisional charge of “public official using his office for gratification” under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA).
Shamshir Mukoon had refused to post bail. However, after spending four days in detention at the Beau-Bassin prison, he changed his decision.
The former acting director of the CEB is being prosecuted as part of the investigation into the redevelopment of the St-Louis thermal power plant.
This scandal follows a report by the African Development Bank (ADB), which was made public on the 8th June 2020. This report incriminates the Danish company, Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC) for alleged corruption of Rs 700 million in the purchase of four turbines for the St. Louis plant. This Rs 4.3 billion project had been financed by the ADB.
The report of ADB immediately caused the Prime Minister, Pravind Jugnauth to launch an investigation by the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC). He also dismissed Ivan Collendavelloo from his position as Deputy Prime Minister. According to the PM, the names of the leaders of the Mouvement Liberateur (ML) and MMM, notably Ivan Collendavelloo and Paul Bérenger, were mentioned in the ADB report.
During the ICAC’s investigation, the consultant of the firm BWSC and the director of the former Pad N Co, Bertrand Lagesse and Alain Hao Thyn Voon respectively, were arrested and later released on bail.
