Sunday Times report on Anse La Raie lacks proof, critics say

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius. A Sunday Times Mauritius report on tourism projects at Anse La Raie has drawn criticism for alleging favoritism without producing supporting documentation, according to a review of the piece. The article, framed around residents denouncing "opacity" in government-approved projects, links a director, Avinash Gopee, to a company involved in the development. It cites statements from an opposition politician and a local activist. Yet it presents no evidence of personal intervention in any approval decision. The Economic Development Board (EDB) issued a Letter of Reservation and a lease for the project. The Sunday Times piece offers no EDB evaluation reports, no list of competing applicants, and no record of a deviation from standard procedure. Its central claim, that the approval reflected political connections rather than merit, rests on the director's name alone. The report also contrasts stated company assets of Rs 10,000 with an annual rent of Rs 28 million, calling the terms suspicious. Financial optics are not a finding. A high lease price can reflect land value, project scope, or state rent extraction. No comparative bids or tender records are cited. By contrast, the public record on the environmental side includes a government-approved masterplan defended in parliament by a minister, who cited road realignment and flood mitigation on the B13 route. The article's environmental claims, including wetland destruction and privatized beach access, lack supporting impact assessments or engineering plans. One gap stands out. The piece leaves unclear the relationship between the broader 100-arpent masterplan and the specific 25-arpent lease, and that distinction remains unresolved in the reporting. The review concludes that allegations of a bent process require documentary proof: evaluation files, competing offers, environmental assessments. None appear in the article. Scrutiny of land and development policy remains warranted. The burden now sits with those making the claims to produce the paperwork.