Rumours and speculations were rife during the week, after inspector Tuyau?s team unveiled illegal transactions related to horseracing. In all nooks and corners, only one subject fuelled conversations: the identity of Ashraf, Labanque, Doudou or Conocono. Alight from your car and make a few steps on the parking of a hypermarket or stroll in Quatre-Bornes market fair, you would, undoubtedly, overhear two respectable persons sharing their guess on the matter. Walk in an office in Port-Louis and you?ll be sure to witness civil servants involved in forecasts regarding the names of suspected defaulters in relation to illegal betting.

The ripple effect is such that politicians caught the fever. The Honourable Leader of the Opposition thought he could not miss such an opportunity to pin down government. But, Dandy Bodha was so impatient that he jumped the gun. The guy should undergo some prolonged pupilage in his new trade. Making an abuse of parliamentary immunity is not much to the honour of a person who holds a constitutional office. The more so, if he is a barrister.

Bodha?s amateurish way of proceeding has contributed to divert attention from the real issue. In fact, the crux of the matter is the propensity of our so called elite to devise corrupt practices, for immediate financial gains.

Betting on the racecourse is like an iceberg. The popular folk rushing to the Champ-de-Mars, in taxis-marrons, on Saturday is only the visible tip thereof. Their cash bets at the bookies constitute the tiny part of the turnover.

It?s no secret that the real « Amateurs and Connoisseurs » are members of respected professions. Doctors, lawyers, accountants are front liners in the category. We can anticipate the protest: those people spend more than a hundred thousand of rupees, each month, as co-owners of stables, simply for l?Amour du cheval. That story is good for kindergartens.

Now, these professionals are so fond of horses that they very rarely come to the racecourse. They would discuss about their favourites? performance with jockeys, on Friday evening in hotel resorts or cosy bungalows on the coastline. At times, some of them would come to the Champ-de-Mars at odd hours. Let?s forget about the professional caught, red handed, with doping substances in a stable. That was some years ago?

Politicians should stop being hypocritical on the issue of illegal betting. Whatever be their hue, they are all well aware that quite a few of their benefactors for political funding, do regularly bet. Please, Honourable members do not put forward that you collect only voluntary and friendly contributions. Do you really believe that your sponsors are so committed to your support that they would empty their family coffers for you?re your benefit?

It?s no surprise that apart from Bodha?s unprepared intervention, the Joomun case has not stirred much passion in political quarters. But it?s a real coincidence that the staff at the police IT department suddenly becomes incompetent and is unable to retrieve information from the key floppy disk because of a virus. Enigmatic. Isn?t it ?

Had we been in the 50?s, as an act of irony, late Sir Gaëtan Duval would have fielded Enigmatic in the Maiden Cup.

JED