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Jaya Krishna Cuttaree

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Jaya Krishna Cuttaree in 2004.

Jaya Krishna Cuttaree, GCSK (June 22, 1941 - December 19, 2018), more commonly known as Jayen Cuttaree, was a Mauritian politician.

Early life and education

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Cuttaree was born in Rose Hill, Mauritius,[1] to Indian immigrants who had landed in Mauritius in the 19th century when it was a British colony.[2][3]

Cuttaree attended Royal College Curepipe[4] until being granted a scholarship in Scotland to attend the University of Edinburgh. There, he earned a BSc in Forestry. Subsequently, he studied Plant Ecology from the University of Uppsala in Sweden, earning a PhD.[5] Later on in life, he completed a law degree.[6]

Cuttaree is the brother-in-law of Dev Virahsawmy, who made history by becoming the first MMM politician to be elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1970. Dev's father, Simadree, was a minister of the Labour Party who later defected to rival party MTD.[7]

Political career

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Cuttaree was a member of Constituency No. 19 (Stanley / Rose Hill) from 1982 to 2010. He was appointed Minister for the first time in 1982 following the legislative elections that year. He was appointed Minister of Labour. Cuttaree then served as Minister of Lands and Housing after the victory of the MSM-MMM alliance in the 1991 Legislative Assembly.

Following the 2000 general elections, he was appointed Minister of Industry and Trade. In 2005, Cuttaree was a candidate for the position of Director General of the WTO as a candidate of the African Union.

Cuttaree's book, Behind The Purple Curtain: A Political Autobiography, was premiered in December 2011, at a showing hosted by l'Opposition leader Paul Bérenger.[8]

Controversies

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2001 closing down of Economic Crime Office (ECO) to avoid investigation

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Indira Manrakhan, the former director of ECO, explained how she received information that led her to believe there were reasonable grounds for an investigation on Jayen Cuttaree, who was in the running as future MMM President of the Republic. ECO suspected that Cuttaree had assisted Harry Tirvengadum to illegally annex State Land next to his Floreal property.[9]However, the MSM-MMM government intervened by closing down ECO, which was replaced by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).[10][11] At the time of its closure, ECO was investigating other Mauritian politicians under similar suspicions.

2001 Valayden's claims of unpaid bills at Maritim Hotel

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Attorney General Rama Valayden also alleged during a press conference that Cuttaree had not paid the Maritim Hotel after his lavish birthday party on June 24, 2001. Cuttaree denied these allegations.[12]

2005 Air Mauritius Caisse Noire scandal

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In 2005, Gérard Tyack (former financial director of Air Mauritius) revealed that he had given money to Cuttaree from the Air Mauritius secret fund, also known as the scandalous Caisse Noire Affair. The money was meant for the newspaper of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), Le Nouveau Militant.[13] During the cross examination of Tyack, he revealed that he had mentioned this transaction in his statement to the Economic Crime Office (ECO).

References

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  1. ^ Rédaction, La (21 December 2018). "Jayen Cuttaree: de conseiller municipal à PM par intérim". lexpress.mu. L'Express. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  2. ^ Carsignol-Singh, Anouck (2009). "La diaspora, instrument de la politique de puissance et de rayonnement de l'Inde à l'île Maurice et dans le monde". Echogéo (10). doi:10.4000/echogeo.11329. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  3. ^ Kaladeen, María del Pilar (2023-06-06). "Invisible Windrush: how the stories of Indian indentured labourers from the Caribbean were forgotten". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  4. ^ Tirvassen, Vanessen. "Inspiration can only come from one dedicated teacher". All Africa. L'Express. Retrieved 15 July 2008.
  5. ^ Rédaction, La (21 December 2018). "Jayen Cuttaree: de conseiller municipal à PM par intérim". lexpress.mu. L'Express. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  6. ^ News on Sunday. "Former Minister Jayen Cuttaree passes away". Le Defi Media. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  7. ^ Oodunt, Sunil (15 July 2017). "Oui aux noms!". Lexpress.mu. L'Express. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  8. ^ "Derrière le rideau mauve avec Jayen Cuttaree". Retrieved 2024-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Former minister dragged into alleged financial scandal 08-Nov-2005". L'Express. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  10. ^ Karghoo, Christophe. "Je suis dans un mood de guerrière 08-March-2009". 5Plus. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  11. ^ Modeliar, S. "The choice is clear". Mauritius Times. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  12. ^ Rédaction. "Former minister dragged into alleged financial scandal". L'Express. Retrieved 8 November 2005.
  13. ^ Veeramundar, Rudy (2005). "Tyack: De l'argent de la Caisse Noire a été remis à Cuttaree". 5 Plus Dimanche. Retrieved 20 June 2005.
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