Landing of a Malagasy Private Jet in Mauritius: Bérenger: "What Happened is Very Serious. Jet Prime Ltd's Operations Must Be Completely Reviewed"

"Very serious": this is how the interim Prime Minister characterized the events that occurred overnight at the Plaisance airport, where a private jet from Madagascar carrying former Malagasy Prime Minister Christian Louis Ntsay, businessman Maminiaina Ravatomanga, their respective wives, and crew members landed amid a political crisis in the Great Island.

In a press conference this Wednesday, Paul Bérenger stated that it is necessary to completely reassess the operations of Jet Prime Ltd, a company wholly owned by Airport Holdings Ltd, chaired by Megh Pillay. This company specializes in managing the arrivals and departures of private jets in Mauritius, mostly for wealthy businessmen. Paul Bérenger mentioned that he would discuss this matter with Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam upon his return to the country, as the Prime Minister is currently on a private visit to England.

Paul Bérenger will also discuss the report of the investigation conducted by the Secretary to Cabinet regarding the incidents surrounding the landing of this private jet and the "serious decisions" that need to be made. For now, the interim Prime Minister has refrained from disclosing the contents of the investigation report.

According to Paul Bérenger, the initial request for landing authorization for this private jet was made for "medical purposes." Then, a second request was submitted, this time for "tourism purposes." Ultimately, the crew reported that the aircraft was low on fuel and needed to land. It was in this "tense context" that the Civil Aviation Department granted landing permission at 11:12 PM. Paul Bérenger claims he was only informed of the situation on Sunday morning.