- Rosida, his mother: “Kankrela li per, aster ou dir li pou al eklat bom? »
How do you go from Attendant on a Cruise Ship to Prime Suspect in an Alleged Terrorism Case? This is what Cader, 63, and Rosida have struggled to understand since their son Jaabir Paperutty, 26, was arrested in the investigation into threats of a homemade bomb attack targeting the embassy of France in Mauritius, located in Port-Louis. “Nou pa kone si vremem linn fer sa ou si li finn pieze,” says the sixty-year-old in a statement given to Défi Plus.
The young man, who is facing a provisional charge under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PoTA) before the Port-Louis court, has already provided his preliminary version to the Major Crimes Investigation Team (MCIT). His cell phone is also being analyzed. He is under observation at Brown-Séquard hospital. The police want to obtain an assessment of his psychological state (see box).
Among those close to the young man, in Vallée-Pitot, there has been incomprehension since Friday May 17, 2024, the date on which the alleged attack was foiled. Rosida, who has two children including Jaabir, assures that they have a decent family life. The young man found himself living alone with his parents at home a few years ago, when his older sister, to whom he is very close, got married.
Course
But who is Jaabir Paperutty really? He was born in Vallée-Pitot, a district of Port-Louis where he grew up. He attended Sunee Surtee primary school before starting his secondary studies at Sir Abdool Razack Mohamed College in Port Louis. For his Higher School Certificate, he joined DAV College, located in the capital.
Once he finished his studies, he took on odd jobs, notably as a salesman in a store or a worker in a factory. In 2019, after taking steps and thanks to his savings, he joined an international company to work on cruise ships as an Attendant.
This was the start of an adventure which allowed the young man, then aged 22, to discover a host of cultures around the world. “Sak 15 zour bato krwazier ti pe al dan lezot pei”, relates Rosida. However, she confides that, to her knowledge, he has never had any problems with the law, even in other countries.
Rosida still remembers her son's first trip on a cruise ship. Whenever he could, the young man shared his experience with his parents through video calls. “Li ti kontan fer video call touletan ar nou pou show nou kot li ti ete”, indicates the mother of the family.
Jaabir Paperutty visited Latin American countries, according to Rosida. He was also able to discover Europe thanks to his work. His mother maintains that he visited France, notably Marseille and Paris, but also England and Turkey, among other countries.
Trips abroad
“Jaabir kontan vwayaz dan boukou pei ek dekouver lezot kiltir,” she says, admitting that she has lost count of the number of countries he has visited as part of his work. Over the past four years, he has made numerous professional trips for periods ranging from six to nine months, before returning to Mauritius.
Has the young man ever had any problems or mishaps in France? “Zame linn gagn kit problem li. “Li enn dimounn trankil,” replies Rosida. What about the PoTA charge against him? “Si enn kankrela vinn devan li, li per, li krie sipaki kalite. Aster ou dir mwa enn zanfan koumsa ti pou al eklat bom? » she replies with a sarcastic smile. She is categorical: her son is not guilty of the acts with which he is accused.
What is Jaabir Paperutty's position on the situation in Palestine? “Li ti pe koze, li get reportaz lor televizion. “Hamas is ready to prepare food, otherwise Israel will win,” they say.
However, Rosida points out that this does not mean that her son is a fervent defender of the Palestinian cause to the point of committing such an act. She only wants as proof that he never participates in marches or activities organized in Mauritius in favor of Palestine: “Zame li al bann kozri ou bann lamars Palestinian ki fer. Li res lakaz lor portab li slept. »
Shock
Cader and Rosida are still in shock. They were very surprised to see police officers arrive at their home that evening. The mother was in the living room when, through a window, she saw a few men in front of her door. She didn't care at first.
Then they knocked at the door and she saw them with her son. Everyone entered the house. “Koumansman mo pann konpran nanie. Zot inn rantre. Zot pann koze nanie. Zot inn al direk dan lasam mo garson,” she relates.
Seeing his mother burst into tears, Jaabir Paperutty tried to reassure her. “Monn dimann li kinn arive. Li pann replied. Bann polisie si pann dir nanie,” she adds. Cader, who was sleeping at the time of the search, then woke up. Rosida says she wanted to slap her son. “Pou ki ki ki ariv sa, modir linn bizin fer kitsoz pa bon,” she said.
Once the operation was completed, the young man and the police left the scene. The parents were still in the dark. It was only a few hours later that Rosida learned that her son had been arrested for such a serious matter.
What she deplores, however, are the unpleasant comments on Facebook. “Lapolis mem pankor konn bien ki finn arive. Zot ankor pe iron lanket. Me lor Facebook, kan ou get bann komanter, dimounn fini dir li koupab…”, Rosida is indignant.
MCIT calls for review of suspect's credibility
Since Wednesday May 22, 2024, Jaabir Papuretty has been at the Brown-Séquard hospital in Beau-Bassin where he is undergoing examinations intended to assess his state of mental health. It was the MCIT which sponsored a “Credibility Test” for the young resident of Vallée-Pitot. Investigators would like to obtain a medical report before continuing with the next stage of investigations.
What they want is confirmation to assess the credibility of the suspect's statements. The latter would have, in his confession, indicated his intention to blow up the French embassy. The police want precise details on the alleged “plan” concocted by the resident of Vallée-Pitot.
MCIT also commissioned a technical report from the police Explosive Handling Unit. An initial analysis of the supposed “explosive” found in the suspect’s bag revealed that it was, in reality, a homemade bomb that could never have exploded.
Made by the young man himself, it consisted of “deer firecracker” powder. Moreover, during the search of the suspect's home, a box of “Golden Deer” firecrackers was seized. The young man would have taken care to empty several boxes to collect the sulfur contained in the firecrackers before making “dynamite”. The suspect himself explained to MCIT how he did it.
