No one is above the law. The police inquiry into allegations of corruption against the minister of Housing and Lands, Asraf Dulull, proves this right. After the prime minister?s declaration ? ?As soon as I was informed that there were allegations that bribes have been asked to make a project go ahead, I immediately contacted the acting commissioner of police, Dhun Rampersad. I asked that an investigation be led in all transparency on this case? ? we can only hope this mentality will prevail during the whole investigation.

The prime minister however made it clear that he found no reason for the minister to step down for the moment, as there is no evidence of his guilt. Hence, the opposition?s requests to see the minister leave his post until the end of the police enquiry will not become a reality.

The affair broke out while the main person concerned was not in Mauritius. He was on a mission in Nairobi when the PRO of Bel Air Sugar Estate (BASE), Anil Nemchand, made his first statement to the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) that the sugar estate had been asked to pay Rs 50 million to make its Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS) project move forward more rapidly. He said businessman Rafiq Peermamode, the intermediary between BASE and the minister, was the one who made the request. Even though minister Dulull admits that Rafiq Peermamode ? who is provisionally charged with bribery ? is one of his friends and attended the meeting between himself and BASE officials, he denies all allegations of bribery ? just as Rafiq Peermamode himself does. As a result, Anil Nemchand finds himself alone with his allegations that no one is able to confirm.

?Minister Dulull insists on denying all allegations, based on absolutely no ground, and wants the police to lead an in-depth investigation not only to shed some light on the case but also to sue the perpetrators of these false and malicious allegations,? stated a communiqué published by the ministry after the news was published in l?express on the same morning. He accepts that Rafiq Peermamode was present during this famous meeting of 23rd March ? when the request was allegedly made ? but he asserts this was ?pure coincidence?. ?Rafiq Peermamode was with the promoter, Patrick Rountree, the manager of BASE. As I know him, by pure coincidence, I did not throw him out,? the minister explains.

?Why should the general manager of Subaru Motors be present at the meet-ing? Peermamode?s lawyers say he was very close to the minister.?

In his statement to the police, Rafiq Peermamode confirms his presence at the meeting; he even says that he asked money from the promoters of the IRS project. However, this is everything his statement has in common with Anil Nemchand?s. The businessman?s lawyers assert that the amount requested was not Rs 50 million but Rs 60 million? which would be given to the government for ?socio-economic benefits?. They make it clear that this was one of the main conditions to obtain the permit to set up their IRS project. He adds that the project was supposed to include a health track, tar roads, set up public toilets? As for his presence ? why should the general manager of Subaru Motors be present at such a meeting? ? His lawyers say their client was the intermediary as he was very close to the minister.

But Anil Nemchand sticks to his stand. He has already made three statements to the police where he insists on his allegations. He says that the project was taking so much time to move forward that the proposal of Rafiq Peermamode to help ? as he was close to the minister ? was most welcome. Anil Nemchand also asserts that he met Kailash Ruhee, senior adviser at the Prime Minister?s Office who told him not to give a cent to anyone to see the project progress.

The arrival of his boss, Patrick Rountree, from abroad should support his own statements; the latter?s statement to the police should also give a new turn to the investigation. He is at the origin of the investigation; as soon as Anil Nemchand told him by e-mail that the ministry had asked for a bribe, he immediately sent an e-mail to the Board of Investment to inform them of the matter.

The police were supposed to go to the ministry at the end of last week but the officers concerned informed the CCID that they would not be free until this week. The investigators will also question minister Dulull during the week. The latter says he is ?serene??