Too little, too late! This is how many people would qualify Pravind Jugnauth’s latest decision to appear before the Commission of Inquiry on Drugs. We prefer to think that it’s better late than never.

Admittedly, the decision does indeed come after the prime minister had refused to take any sanctions against those around him who have been unable to say what business they had meeting so many drug dealers in prison, explain how they acquired their assets or counteract the allegations that they have been dabbling in drug money.

So many MSM lawyers – like Sanjeev Teeluckdharry, Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus, Raouf Gulbul – are still sitting in their prestigious positions unabashed. By refusing to sanction them, Jugnauth has proved a total lack of leadership and, in so doing, has undermined the image he wants to portray as someone keen to ruthlessly fight the drug business.

As if that were not enough, drug dealer Peroomal Veeren came out of the blue – while the prime minister was in Rodrigues, ziplining in his smart clothes – and made serious allegations against him. If not many people took seriously the allegation that Jugnauth himself was financing the drug business, the idea that his political campaign and that of Lepep may have been financed through drug money did not seem as farfetched. After all, Geanchand Dewdanee, who has been arrested on drug charges, seems very close to Jugnauth, judging by the photos taken of both of them together in very close proximity.

Instead of dealing with these allegations immediately, Jugnauth chose first to carefully select the publications he wanted to talk to – Why fear other journalists if you have nothing to hide? – and later counterattack in a most unbecoming way when a journalist – doing his job in a perfectly acceptable way – asked him what he intended to do about the allegations made against him – thus cutting too close to the bone. Suddenly, we no longer saw a prime minister taking his responsibility in front of the nation, but rather a politician spewing petty personal attacks, lashing out at journalists and accusing the profession – and the opposition – of being linked to the drug mafia! He had proof, he added, that journalists and the opposition are involved in drug trafficking – which rather begs a few questions like how he happened upon this proof, for how long he has been sitting on it and how come it’s only when he was challenged that he suddenly remembered that the profession is knee-deep in drugs?

Jugnauth’s appearance before the commission may come a bit late but we sincerely believe it is better late than never. We hope that this is not just his usual scattershot approach to dealing with allegations – creating as many other allegations as possible so that the pressure comes off – and that we will be able to know how many of us are enriching ourselves on the pain and devastation of many families. We also hope that he will be able to prove that the money that financed his campaign is clean, in spite of the allegations and the accusations against him and the people who are very close to him.

The lack of leadership in dealing with lawyers close to power was a terrible start. Imitating his father’s language when addressing journalists and the population at large – using terms like batiara and questioning the journalist’s right to ask questions which are of public interest – is ill-advised. After all, he doesn’t have his father’s track record. As it happens, he was never even elected to be in the post he is now occupying. Something he should perhaps not forget too often.

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