Gerard Louise, Former Director Of MASA, Acquitted

The former director of the Mauritius Society of Authors, Gérard Louise, has been cleared of six charges of complicity brought before the Intermediate Court. Mohammed Javed Doolull, charged with piracy, and Mohammud Asraff Goolamy, charged with conspiracy, were also acquitted. The case was based on six European songs that had been compiled and included in an album entitled “Hits of the year 2010/2011”. Doolull, 46, was accused of pirating the songs. Goolamy, 60, director of the Blue Ray Company, was accused to have conspired with him. Gérard Louise, 60, was accused of facilitating the piracy by approving a request from Blue Ray Company to compile the songs. In his verdict, Magistrate Nithiraj Bisnatsingh pointed out that the declarant, Audrey Patricia Lamarque, local representative of Sony BMG Music Africa (Pty) Ltd, was not called to the stand. As a result, he said, the prosecution was unable to prove a material element of the alleged offence, namely that the three individuals did not have the authorisation of the copyright owner.