He said it, he did it. Earlier today, Labour Party MP Shakeel Mohamed tabled a motion of no-confidence against Ameenah Gurib Fakim, the president.

“I would be grateful if you could have the following motion inserted to my name: ‘That this House has no confidence in Her Excellency, The President of the Republic, Mrs. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, GCSK, CSK, PhD, DSc.’ I hope that this motion will be placed on the agenda of the National Assembly as a matter of priority as per parliamentary custom and practice,” Mohamed wrote in his motion tabled at the Assembly this Thursday morning. 

His decision to table a motion against her came a day after l’express published the extracts of the bank statement of a platinum credit card used by the president and sponsored by the Planet Earth Institute (PEI). According to the bank statement from Barclays Bank, the president has spent thousands of rupees on shoes at the Dubai duty free, electronic devices from the Apple Store in Washington D.C, jewelry from Shiv Jewels Impex and up to Rs90, 000 from Italian fashion designer Roberto Naldi. The credit card was also used to pay hotel bills and airline tickets.

The initial purpose the PEI was to promote PhD scholarship programmes for students to study at the best universities around the world. So far, Gurib-Fakim has refused to talk to the press or comment on the matter. She was seen today at the the reception organised for the laureates at the State House, where she carefully avoided the press.

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