The Association of Notaries of Mauritius will take a position on the matter of the Minister of the Environment in the coming days. “We met on Thursday to talk about, among other things, this subject. We will issue a press release soon. This will revolve around the Ramano affair. Instead of making declarations left and right, we prefer to issue a press release,” says Mohammad Zaheer Jafferally, treasurer of the association.
This association, whose legal existence is governed by the Notaries Act 2018, regulates the profession of notary and ensures compliance with the Code or the rules of practice of the profession. She is also authorized to take action against a notary for violation of the Code or the rules of practice.
Minister Kavi Ramano, who is a notary by profession, is the subject of controversy concerning a fragmentation project. Square Deal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd applied for an EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) permit on May 8 from the Ministry of the Environment to divide a plot of land of 46,206.21 square meters into 86 residential lots and one commercial lot.
Queen Victoria, in the Flacq district.
On April 29, Kavi Ramano's study issued a document to certify that Square Deal Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd is the owner of this land. The document bears the notary seal of Me Kavi Ramano. However, the latter is the Minister of the Environment.
For the opposition, including MMM MP Joanna Bérenger, who first raised the matter, the minister would be in a blatant conflict of interest. Furthermore, according to the opposition, Kavi Ramano would not have the right to practice as a notary while being a minister.
The matter was the subject of a Private Notice Question (PNQ) from the leader of the opposition, Arvin Boolell, on Wednesday June 12, in Parliament. The Attorney General, Maneesh Gobin, responded that Kavi Ramano had “upon his appointment as minister, ceased to practice the profession of notary in accordance with the provisions of the law” and that on June 4, Minister Ramano, in a press release, emphasized the fact that “no one was authorized to issue a document in his name as a notary. He had also informed the Association of Notaries that other notaries would take over the activities of his former office. I am also informed that the Honorable Ramano did not sign any documents as a notary while he was Minister.”
