Mauritius’ ex-President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has been questioned by a government inquiry team probing her conduct while in office.
Gurib-Fakim decided to resign in March after mounting pressure for her to do so following reports of misconduct.
She was accused of financial misappropriation by spending several hundred thousand rupees on personal purchases, using a Platinum credit card offered by a non-governmental organisation, Planet Earth Institute (PEI).
Local media reports that the card was given to her as part of Gurib-Fakim’s work as an unpaid director for the charity.
Her office then said that the purchases were accidental and have been paid back.
The former president has denied allegations of misconduct. She told the inquiry on Tuesday that while in office she ordered a probe into the activities of Angolan businessman Álvaro Sobrinho under pressure.
Álvaro Sobrinho is one of the directors of non-governmental organisation, Planet Earth Institute (PEI).
The business man was said to have secured a permit to found an investment bank in Mauritius, due to favouritism.
Gurib-Fakim says her probe into the businessman was not backed by the government which criticised it at the time.
She was said to have no powers to launched such a probe. Gurib-Fakim says “there was a sense of isolation, total lack of support from the executive…There was no will whatsoever to help the office of the president”.
“The Attorney General told me that he could not do anything while the office of the presidency was under attack.”
The ongoing probe will last for a few days.
Source: Africafeeds.com
