Govt knew of dubious Mauritius dealings

The Union government had detailed knowledge about dubious IPL deals by offshore companies based in Mauritius but no action was taken to stem the rot.

Senior government officials in Port Louis told DNA that the government of India (GoI) had sought specific information about a number of offshore companies involved in huge investments to fund the Indian Premier League during the past two years, which was duly provided by the Mauritius government.

“We provided every detail to GoI and have nothing to hide,” said a senior minister requesting anonymity due to the strict code of conduct enforced ahead of the national elections on May 5. “We knew about the role of some companies and shared
information with our counterparts in India. If they need any further help, we will provide that too,” the minister added.

However, Dr Milan Meetarbhan, CEO, Financial Services Commission, the regulator of the offshore sector, was more forthright when he echoed the assertion that the Indian government had all the information.

“We had an inbuilt mechanism to keep an eye on the offshore companies and the GoI is aware of that. They have the data and figures about these companies,” Meetarbhan told DNA. “We are in a continuous process of scrutiny. I do not want to disclose the names of the companies as investigations are underway.”