The Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues believes that he and other members of the Executive Council have been the victims of defamatory attacks. He has lodged a complaint at Port Mathurin police station against PPS Francisco François, leader of the OPR, Franchette Gaspard Pierre-Louis, Minority Leader, and MP Buisson Léopold in his capacity as director and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Le Rodriguais Autonome”. Gaspard and Léopold are also members of the OPR.
On 20 January 2024, “Le Rodriguais Autonome” published various articles on decisions taken by the regional government during bad weather days. Johnson Roussety believes that the contents are defamatory, malicious and false. In one of the articles, Francisco François described members of the regional government as “thugs and poachers”. Roussety also denounced an article in which Franchette Gaspard Pierre-Louis referred to the decision of maintain classes despite the bad weather as a “criminal act” against children. He also added that he intends to file a civil suit this week against the same people for defamation.
