The police of the exemplary Republic of Mauritius have recently fallen upon an incriminating CD where the names of bettors dealing in illegal credit betting have been saved. Reports say some ?important personalities?, including ministers, are part of the scam. The matter is so serious it is the subject of a Private Notice Question in parliament where the leader of the opposition mentions the name of the two ministers supposedly involved in the matter. And as a result, the Prime minister loses his temper.

Inspector Tuyau - who has a reputation of being a hard-working and diligent police officer - led the initial police enquiry that uncovered the scam. We now hear that superintendent of police (SP) Raddhoa and others will lead parallel police enquiries. This decision was apparently taken at levels ?beyond the police commissioner.? Or so says SP Raddhoa.

Why? ?The experience of SP Raddhoa will be very valuable,? we are told. Is this a way of saying that Tuyau?s experience is less valuable? Hard to say but not hard to read in between the lines?

Anyhow, now that Mr Raddhoa will be in charge of the police inquiry, he is happily going around telling people what he thinks of the Gaming Act, the very legislation that governs betting. And that makes credit betting illegal. Mr Raddhoa is telling the media he does not agree with this particular piece of legislation and that he personally thinks the law should be amended and that credit betting should be rendered legal.

Hello? Need we remind Prem Raddhoa that as a police officer, his job is to ensure that laws - whatever he may privately think of them - are upheld? And that when laws are broken, it is his duty to bring the offenders to justice, again regardless of what his feelings are about whatever legislation?

It is of course a great thing that we have a thinking policeman - they are too few and far between. But somebody out there needs to remind this gentleman policeman that it is not his job to agree or to disagree with a particular legislation. His job is to enforce the law. End of story.

But I no longer know if it is the end of the story when the acting minister for Finance tries to justify credit betting when answering questions in parliament. ?It is a very important economic activity?, he is quoted as saying. Fair enough. But this is beside the point. The point is credit betting is illegal, whether we agree with the law or we don?t. Justifying the activity will not do. If the legislators do not agree with the law, well, they?ll just have to amend it, won?t they? What matters however is that at this point in time - and at the material time the crime was committed - credit betting was illegal in this country and is punishable by law, whatever any Tom, Dick and Harry may think.

So what are we going to do about it? This is a country where the rule of law applies, indiscriminately we are told. We?ll see, won?t we?