Since June 3, 2021, Mohammed Shamshir Mukoon has been under a provisional charge of “public official using his position for gratification”. It was not until Tuesday, June 25, 2024, that the former acting director of the Central Electricity Board (CEB) saw this provisional charge removed against him, following a motion from his lawyer, Me Zeeshan Rajani.
Magistrate Gavindren Coolen, sitting at the Curepipe court, said he was dissatisfied with the reasons given by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac). He criticized the authorities' delay in filing a formal charge against the defendant. The Icac had notably highlighted the complexity of the investigation and the Covid-19 pandemic to justify the delay. The Chief Investigator, Jokhoo explained that the investigation of the organization began in June 2020. The latter followed the publication of a press article and a complaint from the CEB to the anti-corruption commission. The complaint concerned questionable practices in the awarding of a contract for the Saint-Louis project to the Danish company, Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC) in 2016, in this case, the addition of turbines to increase capacity production of the thermal power plant. The contract was awarded for Rs 4.2 billion.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) had reported information leaks and potential bribes paid to civil servants and political figures. Investigators discovered a series of pseudonyms and emails indicating the involvement of various people, including the nickname “Maktoum”, believed to be that of Mohammed Shamshir Mukoon. According to the investigator, the latter was unable to provide his email password, hence the delays in the procedure. He also maintained that more than 400 statements have been taken in the case and 11 suspects identified. Additionally, the authorities submitted a request for mutual legal assistance and collaborated with the Serious Crime Office of Denmark.
For his part, Mohammed Shamshir Mukoon explained in court that his family depends financially on him, specifying that he was suspended by the CEB. However, he conceded the fact that Rs 300,000 in foreign currency was found at his home could arouse suspicion. The accused added that he had forgotten his email password and had even taken steps with Google to recover it.
