MASA Board Member Alerts FCC About Mismanagement, Rs95 M of Unpaid Artists’ Funds

The Mauritius Society of Authors (MASA) is facing a major scandal after a re-elected board member, Jonathan Bécherel, confirmed he is the sole individual who has filed a case with the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) regarding the organisation’s financial management.

Bécherel, speaking at a press conference on Friday, October 31, alongside other artists, disclosed that Rs 95 million has accumulated in MASA accounts without being distributed to either local or international artists.

Hidden Reports and Unallocated Royalties

Mr. Bécherel, addressing a previous press report directly, declared, “That re-elected member, it’s me, here before you!”

He stated his actions are “totally false” to be politically motivated, adding, “On the contrary, we thank the government and the Minister of Arts and Culture.”

He further revealed the discovery of two reports from the National Audit Office (NAO) and one from the Office of the Public Sector Governance (OPSG) that have allegedly been kept confidential for three years.

These documents reportedly detail mismanagement and misallocation of funds within MASA.

• The Rs 95 million has reportedly remained unallocated, with Bécherel stating, “MASA itself does not know exactly who this money belongs to. Let the FCC determine why it has not been distributed.”
• He claims the current MASA President, Richard Hein, discovered the undisclosed funds and the hidden reports.
• Bécherel asserted he sought explanations from the board before approaching the FCC but received no response, claiming, “I was subjected to strong pressure not to reveal this scandal.”

Internal Tensions and Plea to Government

The board member alleged the existence of an “invisible group of plotters” currently controlling MASA, whom he accuses of “penalising artists and disclosing confidential information to the press.”

He linked these internal tensions directly to the President’s actions, stating, “MASA’s administration is opposed to the new president because he denounced the Rs 95 million non-distributed and revealed the hidden reports.”

Mr. Bécherel made a direct appeal to the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mahendra Gondeea, for support for the ongoing reforms and to maintain confidence in President Hein, requesting: “I ask the government not to revoke Richard Hein, otherwise artists will lose all hope.”

Addressing MASA Director Gérard Louise directly, Bécherel adopted a measured tone, saying, “I make no direct accusation. I do not want to harm his image.”

However, he invited Louise to collaborate fully with the President to modernise the organisation and restore artists’ trust.

He concluded his intervention by apologising to the artistic community, admitting, “I present my apologies to the artistic community—I have made mistakes towards you.”

Director’s Response

When contacted for comment, MASA Director Gérard Louise declined to elaborate, stating only that the documents relating to the case were transmitted to the FCC this week.

Source: Defi Media