Menlo Park: A New Element Revives the Case

Queenie Adam, one of the directors of Menlo Park, swore an affidavit on Friday, October 10. In it, she alleges that Rama Sithanen and his son, Tevin Sithanen, were aware that Menlo Park was seeking to raise funds, specifically through a request made to the Mauritius Investment Corporation (MIC).

She indicated that Ziyad Bundhun acted as an intermediary between Rama Sithanen and Menlo Park, being presented as the company's exclusive financial advisor. She also claims that the Sithanens attempted to obtain financial documents from the company and proposed a deal.

According to her, this deal stipulated that if the Alliance of Change won the elections, Rama Sithanen would head the MIC and approve a funding request of $6.3 million (approximately Rs 287 million at the current rate) for Menlo Park. Of the $6.3 million, a total of Rs 22 million was to be paid as "under-the-table commissions," she alleges.

According to Queenie Adam's affidavit, Rs 15 million was to be funneled to Tevin Sithanen through One Infinity Company, based in Mumbai, which is owned by the Singaporean company One Arc, in which Rama Sithanen is a shareholder.

Ziyad Bundhun, in his capacity as transactional advisor, was supposed to receive Rs 7 million.

Furthermore, the affidavit states that the agreement also required Pulse Analytics to stop publishing its electoral maps, fearing they would influence the voting.

She further claims that Ziyad Bundhun pressured several officials from Menlo Park and the MIC to block the signing of a term sheet for one million dollars proposed by the MIC and to delay the process until after the elections.

At the same time, online messages accused Menlo Park of being paid to produce fake polls.

In light of these allegations, Menlo Park reported the matter to the police, was directed to the Cybercrime Unit, and denounced the case without having received any funding or signed anything with the MIC.

Despite this step, the leaders of Menlo Park found themselves temporarily prosecuted for the same facts they had reported.

According to Queenie Adam, "It is impossible to be both a conspirator and a whistleblower."

The group claims to have rejected the deal proposed by the Sithanens. Stephan Adam and Aditi Boolell were reportedly the main opponents to this proposal.

After the elections, Tevin Sithanen allegedly threatened Aditi Boolell and Stephan Adam during a WhatsApp call, claiming he controlled the MIC and would ensure they were arrested.

Marc Pierre