Crisis at MASA: Richard Hein Explains After His Dismissal

Richard Hein was dismissed from his position as president of the Mauritius Society of Authors (MASA) on Monday, November 3. The Minister of Arts and Culture, Mahen Gondeea, stated that this decision, which was made after careful consideration, was necessary following a thorough evaluation of the institution's operations. On Friday, November 7, Richard Hein sent a letter to MASA members.

In his letter, Richard Hein mentioned that he did not seek the position, but felt it was his "duty to help restore MASA and meet the expectations of those who recommended him, as well as the minister who asked him to 'bring order' upon his appointment."

For those interested in his perspective on governance issues at MASA, Richard Hein stated that he is willing to share the letter he sent to the minister on October 30, from Canada, where he was attending to a family emergency. He emphasized, "It contains fundamental questions that remain unanswered."

During his few months in office, Richard Hein claims to have worked hard to get MASA back on track. "I managed to maintain our provisional membership for two years with CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers), which had decided to exclude MASA after several years of warnings for non-compliance with minimum required standards that were not addressed by the previous Board." He noted that such an exclusion would have led to Mauritius being blacklisted internationally regarding copyright issues and likely meant "the end of MASA."

He asserts that he restored transparency within the board by presenting concerning reports from the National Audit Office and the Office of Public Sector Governance, titled "Report on Misallocation of Royalties by MASA" dated September 2021, which had remained unaddressed in MASA's administrative archives and the ministry. These reports led the Board to approve, on July 25, 2025, an independent judicial audit on various 'misallocations of funds', meaning amounts intended for rights holders but used by the administration without the Board's knowledge, he clarified.

According to the former president, the audit aimed to ensure that the administration returned these funds to the rights holders. "Nevertheless, the ministry, in correspondence sent through the director to the Board in September, declined any assistance on this matter," he indicated.

He also pointed out that MASA currently holds significant amounts accumulated over the years, partly blocked in the distribution account (Rs 95 million in June 2025) — equivalent to three years of revenue, as reported by CISAC — "the origins of which have not been explained by the administration despite numerous requests from the Board. This situation hinders the distribution of unidentified amounts and demonstrates the non-functioning state of the institution."

In conclusion, Richard Hein expressed a wish: "In any case, I sincerely hope that my successor can continue the essential reforms yet to be implemented in the interest and development of the creative industries and ensure MASA remains a member of CISAC."