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GAYAN vs LSL PART II- “Are you entitled to a car allowance?”: “The masochistic tendencies of Gayan?”
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GAYAN vs LSL PART II- “Are you entitled to a car allowance?”: “The masochistic tendencies of Gayan?”
Dear Nad,
I am happy to learn that your salary is more than that of an MP.
Can you please let your readers know whether you are entitled to a car allowance or other allowances and perks?
I regret to have to resort to claiming a right of reply following the impression created by what your paper published today (Editor’s note: Wednesday 11 May).
I would appreciate if you could kindly publish the names of all the Senior Counsels who are reported to have said what you have caused to be published.
Since La Sentinelle keeps claiming the high moral ground, I would like to get confirmation whether someone who is not even the holder of an HSC qualification is earning about Rs 300,000 monthly.
I believe that your readers are entitled to know whether meritocracy prevails at your company. I reserve my right otherwise.
Best regards,
Anil GAYAN
Minister
OUR REPLY :
«Gayan’s masochistic tendencies?»
I wonder whether Minister Gayan has masochistic (after over hundreds of comments against him online) or voyeuristic tendencies?
I volunteered to disclose my salary though I was in no way obliged to do so, not being a public servant paid from public funds. Our readers will forgive me for imposing even more useless information on them to quench the curious thirst of the minister. Yes I have a company car, the services of a personal driver, a standard insurance cover, a Rs 2000 telephone allowance and – in case I receive more ‘supplementary questions’ from Mr. Gayan – I also get free newspapers! How does all this contribute to the debate? Am I, dear minister, paid enough to state my opinion freely, and without fear and favour or do I need to get closer to heaven before doing so?
Minister Gayan requires the names of the Senior Counsels whose comments we reported on Wednesday, in our article (Editor's note: see below) entitled: «Le ML n’a rien à voir avec la lettre de Gayan»! Though he – like others in the high spheres – may think he is so powerful that he can have anything he asks for, we believe that he simply does not hold the right to know who our sources are! The people involved chose not to disclose their names for reasons only they know. We are therefore not allowed to release this information without their formal consent – which we did not get.
Or are we to understand that ministers henceforth have a right to know the identity of those who require anonymity, perhaps out of fear of retribution?
Concerning my colleagues’ salaries, I thought Minister Gayan would have understood by now that it is none of his business whether someone is earning Rs 300,000, or «about» that sum at La Sentinelle – something which seems to have become a sort of obsession for him as he had publicly made an accusation to the effect that someone «without HSC» was making Rs300,000 and he named the person in a party political gathering. The recording of that meeting is now in our possession and Mr. Gayan will soon remember the lesson of his stint as a press columnist: he has to check his information thoroughly before using it in any forum. Had he used Google, he would have learnt that HSC may have other equivalents which he may never have heard of like the BAC, A levels and the IB among others? He may want to pay a visit to the Mauritius Qualifications Authority or the Ministry of Education for a quick update.
I also note that while the minister keeps asking questions about matters which he has no right to and which hold little or no interest for the public (except voyeuristic ones), he at the same time deliberately refuses to answer questions put to him about things which are of real interest to the public like the Freedom of Information Act and the date on which he intends to face the Equal Opportunities Commission to clear his name. Until he obliges, we refuse to continue with this debate and refer the file to our lawyers.
I cringe at the idea that this minister’s salary at the end of this month is actually partly paid by me! Any tips about how I might stop that outrage?
Nad SIVARAMEN
Director of Publications
A few quotes of Anil Gayan while he was writing the column “Only in Mauritius” in l’express:
23 April 2012
“When personal insults are traded and anything personal is ventilated for the purpose of scoring cheap political points, then we are descending into gutter politics. Invectives and insults are not what people are looking for and little do these politicians realize the harm that their choice of words does not only to themselves but also to their leadership. The perception is that what is being said has been cleared at the highest level.”
14 January 2013
“In this land where we have an Equal Opportunities Commission, we know full well that we do not really have equality of opportunity. In fact, some are more equal than others. Whatever the case, it is nevertheless important that the media protect the privacy of any person.”
18 February 2013
“As long as a contract will be funded by public funds, it is unthinkable that a Government should hide behind lame excuses in order to keep under wraps what should be open to public scrutiny. The public will be reassured that its money is being spent wisely when it knows all the details of any transaction. Any attempt by the authorities to keep secret or confidential anything which involves public funds gives rise to suspicion and provides fertile ground for corrupts deals.”
(Paru dans l'express du mercredi 11 mai 2016)
CONFLIT AVEC LA SENTINELLE: «Le ML n’a rien à voir avec la lettre de Gayan»
Le Muvman Liberater (ML) se dissocie de la démarche d’Anil Gayan. L’échange entre le ministre de la Santé et le directeur des publications de La Sentinelle Ltée, publié dans l’édition du mardi 10 mai, n’est pas une démarche du parti, affirme Eddy Boissézon, le secrétaire général. «Je ne veux pas faire de commentaire dessus. Le ML n’a rien à voir avec ce courriel. C’est un échange entre Anil Gayan et La Sentinelle. Adressez-vous à lui.»
Pour sa part, Ivan Collendavelloo, le leader du ML, nous a fait savoir par le biais de son attaché de presse qu’il ne souhaitait pas réagir. Il a refusé catégoriquement de parler à l’express.
L’échange a toutefois donné lieu à une série de commentaires dans le milieu légal. Plusieurs hommes de loi, incluant des Senior Counsels, nous ont témoigné leur indignation face à la demande «farfelue» d’un ministre, qui plus est Senior Counsel, qui voulait connaître les salaires d’une firme privée. Cela, nonobstant le Companies Act.
«Anil Gayan a essayé d’abattre une personne, plutôt que d’éclairer le débat sur le Freedom of Information Act», affirme Me Rama Valayden. «Le ministre se couvre de ridicule quand il dit que le gouvernement va de l’avant avec le Freedom of Information Act qui concerne la divulgation d’informations et il demande les salaires, conditions et autres à une compagnie privée.»
«DONNEUR DE LEÇONS»
«Franchement c’est stupide de sa part», nous confie Me Yousuf Mohamed, Senior Counsel. «Les promesses faites lors de leur campagne n’ont pas été tenues et il a le culot de venir demander le salaire que reçoivent les journalistes ?» Le ministre Gayan était connu comme quelqu’un de très brillant et intelligent qui rouspétait contre les injustices commises sous l’ancien régime, se souvient l’homme de loi. Il ajoute qu’aujourd’hui cette même personne fait pire.
«Il ne faut rien espérer de plus d’un tel personnage», soutient un autre Senior Counsel qui a voulu rester anonyme. «Il s’improvisait donneur de leçons dans les colonnes de l’express. Il fallait republier ses textes pour montrer à quel point Anil Gayan fait le contraire de ce qu’il prêchait.» Cet échange autour de la liberté d’information fait aussi débat sur le Net.
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