Mr S.H.A., he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain information as to the parastatal bodies in which si…
(No. B/400) Mr R. Jhummun (Second Member for Rivière des Anguilles & Souillac) asked the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister of Finance, Minister for Rodrigues and Outer Islands whether, in regard to Mr S.H.A., he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain information as to the parastatal bodies in which since 2015 to November 2024, he – (a) served as chairperson or board member, indicating the allowances drawn in each case, and (b) was appointed as receiver manager and/or liquidator, indicating the fees derived in each case. 32
Madam Speaker, the House will surely recall that the former Prime Minister refused to answer questions relating to Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah.
(Interruptions)
He never answered any question! He was a protected man!
(Interruptions)
An hon. Member: Boss!
Boss! I have decided to depart from that and to answer because it is a matter national interest! And I thank the hon. Member for the question. I presume that the hon. Member is not only referring to parastatal bodies, but also to state-owned enterprises and entities involving public funds and which have retained the services of Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah for the period 2015 to November 2024. As regards part (a) of the question, I am informed that Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah has not served as either the Chairperson or a Board Member of any parastatal body over that period, that is, 2015 to November 2024. However, he was appointed as Chairperson of SBM Holdings Ltd from 11 March 2020. He only gave notice of his resignation after the famous regime of voyous lost the election in November 2024. Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah also served as a Member of Committees of SBM Holdings Ltd and the Director of several subsidiaries of the SBM Group. Madam Speaker, accordingly, for the period 2020 to 2024, he was paid by SBM Holdings Ltd an amount of Rs16.6 million as fees for serving as Chairperson and a Committee Member. Rs16.6 million! Look at all these young people! I am sure they are going to go through exams, they are going to work hard, but who will get to be paid that sum of money? Rs16.6 million! In addition to the Rs16.6 million, he was also paid an amount of Rs20.7 million as fees as Board and Committee Member by the subsidiaries of SBM Holdings Ltd for the same period.
33 Therefore, if you add the two, a total amount of Rs37.3 million was paid to Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah by the SBM Group over a period of few years. Rs37.3 million?
Scandaleux !
It is more than a scandal! Madam Speaker, concerning part (b) of the question, I am informed that over the period 2015 to November 2024, Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah was appointed by MauBank Ltd to provide insolvency services in respect of 13 companies where payment for these services was made to Grant Thornton (Advisory Services) Ltd. Now, Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah is himself a Senior Director of this company! A clear case – could not be clearer – of conflict of interest, and possibly, surely of malpractice! This is a case of the right hand giving to the left hand! An hon. Member: Exactly!
And nobody is saying anything! This matter, Madam Speaker, will be referred to the relevant authorities for investigation. Madam Speaker, Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah received the following – (i) A total of Rs10.9 million as Receiver in respect of seven companies. That is apart from the other things I have mentioned; (ii) Rs600,000 as Joint Receiver in respect of three companies; (iii) Rs6 million as Liquidator in respect of one company; (iv) Rs2.3 million as Joint Liquidator in respect of one company, and (v) Rs1.9 million as Administrator in respect of one company. The House may wish to note that Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah has also acted as Joint Administrator for Air Mauritius Ltd over the period from April 2020 to September 2021, for which an amount of Rs141 million has been paid.
(Interruptions)
Voler! Voler!
(Interruptions)
Yes! Yes!
Shame! Shame! Voler!
And these were the people who said I had bought an airplane and that I am going to leave the country!
34
(Interruptions)
Look at what they were doing! I say it again: Mr Abdoolah was the director of Grant Thornton (Advisory Services) Ltd! Furthermore, over the period April 2020 to October 2021, he acted as Administrator for Airmate Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Airport Holdings Ltd, for which an amount of Rs5 million was paid to the same Grant Thornton (Advisory Services) Ltd.
(Interruptions)
Madam Speaker, the House may also wish to note that in April 2017, following the setting up by the then government of a Commission of Inquiry on the Disposal of Shares of BAI Company (Mauritius) Ltd and the related entities in Britam Holdings Ltd (Kenya), Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah was appointed as Assessor in the Commission and he was paid Rs2.2 million for his services. Again, this is all adding up!
(Interruptions)
Furthermore, ...
(Interruptions)
Enkor? Enkor?
(Interruptions)
Furthermore, a total amount of Rs79.6 million has been paid by parastatal bodies, state-owned enterprises involving public funds again to Grant Thornton (Advisory Services) Ltd and Grant Thornton Ltd for the provision of consultancy and other services, of which, Rs28 million has been paid by the SBM Group. An hon. Member: Kalkilatris eklate la!
(Interruptions)
Who was this Minister who said his computer inn eklate? It is the same! It is the same!
(Interruptions)
Mr Viral Mauritius!
35
When we compute all the figures, that is, between 2015 to 2024, an astronomical figure of Rs287.2 million was paid to Mr Sattar Hajee Abdoolah and entities where he has a direct interest! Madam Speaker, everybody is... An hon. Member: La honte!
La honte! An hon. Member: Alibaba!
(Interruptions)
Alibaba et un voleur!
(Interruptions)
Non, il y a aussi d’autres voleurs! This is an indication, Madam Speaker, of the sort of incestuous relationship that existed between some individuals and those who were in power under the previous regime. I must state that the information which I am providing in the House today are not exhaustive yet. We are still looking! A thorough exercise is being undertaken on the ramifications of his personal actions as well as that of his firms, including the real possibility of conflicts of interest and malpractices. I will say no more!
Thank you. Yes, supplementary question!
Thank you, Madam Speaker. After having heard the hon. Prime Minister, I can say that there is no better word than ‘asset stripper’ to describe what has been done. Can the hon. Prime Minister inform the House whether there will be a forensic analysis about all these dealings and whether there will be une commission d’enquête là-dessus? Thank you.
There will be no get-out-of-jail free card. There will not be any. We will be doing all this. We have a responsibility as a government. We said we would, and we will. We intend to hunt these. I do not want to use other words, but we have to do this. We have an obligation towards the country, towards this new generation that such people do not strip Mauritius of all the money that people have been contributing.
Next supplementary!
36
Can we go further and try to make an inquiry about the assets of that person, how much he has acquired over the last 10 years? Personal assets!
All this would be done by the investigation.
Yes. C’est normal! Yes, hon. Third member for Beau Bassin…
(Interruptions)
May I be allowed to call, Members? Yes, hon. Third Member for Beau Bassin and Petite Rivière. AUDIOVISUAL SECTOR – LIBERALISATION – LEGAL FRAMEWORK