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Vice PM of Mauritius found guilty of unlawful gathering

Xinhua, January 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Vice Prime Minister of Mauritius Showkutally Soodhun has been found guilty on a charge of unlawful gathering.

Soodhun, who is also Minister of Housing and Lands and President of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), the leading party in the government will be fixed on his sentence on Jan. 28.

He was convicted together with two other members of the MSM.

The offense dates back to May 2008 when the MSM was still in the opposition. The gathering was made before a private radio station building which held also offices of L'Express Newspaper.

Soodhun led the MSM supporters to contest articles negative of the MSM party, during which window panes were broken and insults were made to journalists, according to police file.

The Vice Prime Minister has always claimed his innocence. However, magistrates of the intermediate court announced that he is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Soodhun will have to wait for the sentence announcement next month to know if such conviction could affect his ministerial responsibility.

Many legal and political observers believe that he could get out of trouble with a non-custodial sentence. Endi