Former Speaker Phokeer’s Rs 8 Million Travel Costs Exposed

In a revelation that has sent ripples through the corridors of power, it has come to light that the official travels of Sooroojdev Phokeer, the former Speaker of the National Assembly, have cost the public purse nearly Rs 8 million. Between November 2019 and July 2024, Phokeer undertook 21 official missions abroad, incurring a staggering total expenditure of Rs 7,873,582.24, as disclosed in parliamentary records.

During his 56-month tenure at the helm of the National Assembly, Phokeer’s international engagements have raised eyebrows, particularly as they have resulted in public spending of almost Rs 7.9 million.

This figure was unveiled in a written response presented in the National Assembly, following a parliamentary inquiry by Labour MP Dr Farhad Aumeer.

The breakdown of these expenses reveals that Rs 4,423,361.42 was allocated for airfare, while Rs 3,450,170.82 was disbursed as per diem and other allowances, according to the official statement from Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam.

These costs span from 21 November 2019, the date of Phokeer’s election as Speaker, until 10 July 2024, just days before his resignation, which he attributed to health concerns.

Notably, the amount allocated for his per diem had remained undisclosed until now.

Phokeer had previously rebuffed similar inquiries, citing Article 22(1)(n) of the Assembly’s Standing Orders, claiming that such questions fell outside the purview of parliamentary scrutiny.

This interpretation has been deemed erroneous by the current government, viewing it as an attempt to evade accountability.

“It is evident that this distorted interpretation […] was merely a ruse to withhold information from the House,” the Prime Minister asserted in his written response.

In stark contrast to Phokeer’s extensive travel, Deputy Speaker Zahid Nazurally has not embarked on a single official mission abroad during the same timeframe.

The most expensive of Phokeer’s trips was also the final one of his tenure.

From 28 to 30 May 2024, he journeyed to Yaoundé, Cameroon, for the 30th Regional Assembly of the Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly, with airfare costs amounting to Rs 501,600.

A year prior, from 4 to 10 July 2023, he attended the 48th session of the Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly in Tbilisi, Georgia, incurring flight expenses of Rs 343,435.

Early in 2024, from 1 to 8 January, he travelled to Kampala, Uganda, for the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presidents of Commonwealth Assemblies, with the trip costing Rs 389,450.

These travels form part of a series of regular international missions, often occurring just weeks apart.

On 30 and 31 January 2023, Phokeer was in Cape Town, South Africa, for the Legislative Sector Oversight Summit, returning on 1 February 2024 for an extraordinary meeting of the SADC Speakers’ executive committee, with both trips collectively costing Rs 52,750.

Among other notable journeys, he participated from 3 to 6 January 2023 in the 26th Conference of Speakers and Presidents of Commonwealth Assemblies in Australia, which resulted in an expenditure of Rs 299,253 for airfare.

From 28 to 30 September 2022, Phokeer travelled to Athens for the Democracy Forum, costing the state Rs 294,539 in transport fees.

Finally, to attend the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Manama, Bahrain, from 11 to 15 March 2023, the airfare amounted to Rs 276,992.

As the dust settles on these revelations, the implications for accountability and transparency in public spending loom large, casting a shadow over the legacy of the former Speaker.

Source: Defi Media