The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has issued a communique on the cases of Akil Bissessur and his partner; Bruneau Laurette; Ryan Laurette, Avinash Bissessur; Vimen Sabapati. It will be recalled that all these individuals were arrested on suspicion of possession of large amounts of drugs by the police officers operating in the infamous police unit known as the Special Striking Team (SST).

That unit was established in 2022 as a special unit in the police force. It was placed under the command of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jagai, who later was promoted to Superintendent of Police (SP). That unit was supervised by the former Police Commissioner Dip. Now both Jagai and Dip have been arrested and detained in the context of the investigation on the abuse made Reward Money.

The real purpose of the SST has remained and will remain a mystery. Both the newspaper l’express and News Moris expressed concern about the real mission of the SST. In 2022, l‘express wrote that some believe the SST is a political unit – Arvin Boolell even calls it a “militia” – others are beginning to wonder if it also acts on behalf of wealthy or well-connected individuals. In the same year News Moris wrote “Opposition parties and media have expressed concerns about a new police unit established in Mauritius. The Police Head Quarters (PHQ) Special Striking Team was created this week amid apprehensions that it could be used to track down political dissidents.”

The SST under ASP/SP Jagai who was the all-powerful lord of the SST acted with total impunity with almost no accountability. He was perhaps reinforced by a statement made in Parliament in 2023 by former Prime Minister Pravin Jugnauth who said that it is those who do not respect the law who are afraid of the Special Striking Team. “I do not see any climate of fear created by the Special Striking Team.”

The SST was not concerned with law and order only. It was involved in drug investigation mainly and yet that responsibility falls under the authority of the Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU). Did Reward Money make it attractive for the intervention of the SST in drug cases? Did the former Police Commissioner authorize the SST to track down suspected drug traffickers? If so, what was the reason for such a move?

More importantly, there was a perception that the SST was tracking down or striking at those who were opposed to the former regime. There were the arrests of Akil Bissessur and his partner on August 19, 2022, two weeks after the creation of the SST, and his brother on June 20, 2023; of Bruneau Laurette; of Rama Valayden; of Sherry Singh and his wife; of Vidarmen Payen in Cluny and of Deenarain Lokee on April 3, 2023. There was also a raid on the in-laws of Sanjeev Teeluckdharry. There was also the arrest of Vimen Sabapati allegedly on a drug charge. However, many believe that he was struck by the SST because he was Navin Ramgoolam’s bodyguard. Murvind Beetun was threatened and jostled at his workplace by elements of the SST and political agents acting together. Murvind Beetun was talking about the raid on the Ramdin family’s home in Flic-en-Flac during the famous June 14 broadcast when ASP Jagai began to get angry and denied knowing Ramdin. Videos that were circulated showed members of the SST searching the Ramdins’ home. There was also the case of Ashik Fulena, arrested on April 28, 2023, in Flic-en-Flac on a provisional charge of drug trafficking. The matter didn’t go very far, following allegations of “planting.”

It is against this background that the decision of the DPP to request further investigations in the cases of Akil Bissessur and his partner; Avinash Bissessur; Bruneau Laurette; Ryan Laurette; Vimen Sabapati, who are allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The reason put forward by the DPP, Rashid Amin is very revealing. In the communique issued for the benefit of the public the DPP writes: “All the above cases relate to alleged cases of drug trafficking. The cases were all detected and investigated by the SST. Of note the arrests and the investigations were supervised by the same high-ranking officers.” The DPP refers to the allegations of drug planting and points out that the suspects have vehemently denied the allegations of being involved in drugs. On the allegation of drug planting the DPP writes: “These are extremely serious allegations against police officers who were investigating into the different cases.”

Pending the further investigations, the DPP after consultation with the Police Commissioner, has advised that the cases be struck out for now. The DPP however explains that does not mean that there will be no further action. All will depend on the results of the investigations. The decision of the DPP is a bold one and should serve as a warning to some police officers that they should always act within the principle of the rule of law. These police officers should get rid of that notion that they are a State within a State. When the allegations of planting were made police officer Jagai brushed them aside and hit back by saying that these allegations were made to sabotage the work of the police and were tantamount to a film show. There is no doubt that a thorough and honest investigation will be carried out in a very professional manner under the supervision of the police commissioner and it would be very interesting to see the outcome.