PPS Roubina Jadoo quizzed by Drugs Commission

Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus, Private Parliamentary Secretary and also a Barrister, was quizzed by the Commission of Inquiry on Drugs on Wednesday. She was questioned about her frequent visits to prisons. Paul Lam Shang Leen, Chairman, asked her why she made unsolicited visits to prisoners and about her relationship with Peeromal Veeren. She revealed that everything started with the Sumodhee brothers in the L’Amicale case. “They called me in relation to their request for a review of their sentence. In 2008 or 2009, I wrote to the board of appeal. The Sumodhee brothers wanted me to take care of the Philibert affair. They asked me to come to the prison to see how they can proceed. I went to see them. While they kept me waiting, I saw a number of other prisoners. It was like a lecture room. They asked me my opinion on the case of Philibert and its legal implications.”

However, Paul Lam Shang Leen was not convinced with the answer and remarked that “the visit to the Sumodhee brothers took place in 2007. But your visit to 37 prisoners dates back to 2009. There is a danger of “unsolicited requests”. You must follow the procedures. Maybe you do not realise it. When you see 37 prisoners, you have to know if they come from the same block. It’s very strange. They are not all drug traffickers, but many of them are.” She also revealed she was the junior of Barrister Ivan Collendavelloo, currently Deputy Prime Minister.

During the session, Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus cracked down in tears. Before the end of the hearing, the former judge revealed that Roubina-Jadoo Jaunbocus had visited a detainee on 16 December 2014, just after the general elections. The PPS denied, but Paul Lam Leen reminded her that the Commission is in presence of the prison’s record books. Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus will have to return to the Commission in two weeks to explain these details. As she left the Commercial Court premises, she refused to answer questions from journalists.

Peeromal Veeren interrogated in prison

The drug trafficker Peeromal Veeren was heard by two investigators of Lam Shang Leen Commission at the Central Prison on Wednesday. He made allegations against policemen and politicians. Former Judge Paul Lam Shang Leen will also be hearing lawyers Samad Golamally and Ashley Hurranghee. They will have shed light on the financing of the Raouf Gulbul’s campaign during the last elections.