Johnson Roussety Defends the Government

On Friday, October 24, Johnson Roussety, the Deputy Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues, known for his often critical stance towards Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger and the Mauritian government, came to the defense of the central executive. In a post on his Facebook page, he criticized Kishore Beegoo, who resigned on Thursday from his position as chairman of the board at Air Mauritius, after making harsh remarks about Paul Berenger during a press conference.

"You can’t just put the shareholding company in your name!" Johnson Roussety stated in his introduction, reproaching the former chairman of the national airline for misunderstanding his role. According to him, "many misunderstand the law and the practice of state-owned companies," reminding that a board of directors and its chairman are accountable to their shareholders — in this case, the government.

"In a democracy, the government is led by elected politicians... and they act as shareholders," he continued, arguing that Kishore Beegoo's statement — "I never work under the orders of any politician" — is incorrect. "By acting this way, you become a one-man show, and in this specific case, against the instructions of the shareholder," he believes.

The Rodriguan elected official concluded by reminding that the role of a chairman of a public enterprise is to implement the directives of the shareholder, represented by the supervising minister. "Do not divert a state-owned enterprise," he insisted, calling for respect for institutional hierarchy.