District Council President arrested, claims to be victim of ‘political vendetta’

The President of the Grand-Port District Council, Ravi Jangi, was arrested on Tuesday 9 October for allegedly conspiring to ‘damage public property’.

His arrest follows a complaint filed by an employee of the Department of Local Government and the Citizen Support Unit, Defi Media reported.

The latter accused Jangi of having damaging the gate of a football pitch in Quatre Soeurs, which was scheduled to be inaugurated by Financial Services Minister Mahen Seeruttun and Bobby Hureeram, Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development.

Jangi appeared before Flacq District Court on Tuesday where he was released after paying a bail of Rs10,000 and pledging a surety of 35,000.

He is represented by a panel of lawyers made up of Ritesh Ramful, Ashley Ramdass, Manoj Seeburn and Avinash Bissessur.

In a brief statement made to the press after leaving court, Ravi Jangi claimed to be the victim of a “political vendetta”.

“It was a committee that decided that the gate to the Quatre Sœurs football field should be closed because the football pitch was not yet ready,” he was quoted as telling l’Express newspaper.

Ravi Jangi is the only Labour Party stalwart to head a District Council.

Sunday Times newspaper reported that the President of the village Council of Quatre Soeurs and the President of the District Council had not been invited to this event, contrary to the protocol.