Scandals at Global Equestrian Limited: Allegation of mistreatment and exploitation of foreign workers

The shocking revelation of the mistreatment and assault of Sri Lankan workers by employees of the Global Equestrian Limited (GEL), headed by Jean Michel Lee Shim, shook the entire country this week. While six of them were forcibly expelled on Tuesday evening, two others managed to escape after suffering humiliation, beatings and torture, according to them. They found refuge with Me Rama Valayden, accompanied by a Mauritian who had hidden and sheltered them for several days for fear of the well-known bouncers looking for them.

The facts are undeniable and have already been confirmed by the testimonies of the two Sri Lankans, who were heard by officials of the Ministry of Labor, Ms. Ramnarain and MM. Ramphul and Pumma, Thursday. In a letter addressed to the Minister of Labor, Human Resources Development and Training, Mr. Soodesh Callichurn, Me Rama Valayden vigorously denounces the exploitation and mistreatment inflicted on these foreigners, many of whom are in an illegal situation in Mauritius . As soon as he was informed of the actions of the GEL, Me Rama Valayden took charge of defending the mistreated workers and informed Jean Michel Lee Shim by email sent from the telephone of one of the two Sri Lankans. According to credible reports, the Mauritian betting magnate immediately deleted contact names and deleted potentially compromising recordings from the WhatsApp group he had created for professional purposes.

Me Valayden informs JMLS

As for the six deported foreign workers, they were forced to repay the financial advances they had received from the GEL for their personal needs, before collecting their passports and being escorted by Adarsh Jeerakun to the SSR airport. , from where they were expelled from the country.

The alleged trigger for this incident was an altercation that occurred after working hours, linked to alcohol consumption. Informed by his men, Jean Michel Lee Shim would then have ordered his bouncers to severely punish the foreign workers involved, a scene which would have been recorded by Brayen Souci, the head of security of the GEL.

In his letter to the Minister of Labor, Me Rama Valayden mentions acts of exploitation, mistreatment and serious aggression, as well as cases of kidnapping and sequestration of foreign workers. According to Me Valayden, who speaks of “shame for the entire Republic of Mauritius and flagrant violations of human rights”, the victims claim to have been violently beaten and tortured, suffering physical and psychological abuse of incredible brutality.

Kidnapped, beaten, head submerged in water

According to their version of events, Selvaraj Subramaniam and Shantha Dorairaj were kidnapped and taken by force to a forest not far from Balaclava, where they were brutally beaten. They say they were stripped naked and then tortured for 20 to 30 minutes. Their heads were submerged in water for long minutes, while their hands were handcuffed behind their backs. They say they were also whipped, slapped, punched and kicked. Moreover, traces of this savage aggression were still very visible on their bodies at the end of the week.

The revelations don't stop there. GEL employees reported that instructions were given from above to film and erase all video evidence of the incident and to replace the hard drives of the Balaclava surveillance cameras, which covered the area of the alleged assaults. . Furthermore, the four GEL employees who have the footage of these attacks on their cell phones were threatened with immediate dismissal if these images were published on social networks.

Concern in the political world

Furthermore, a letter dated October 23, 2023, bearing the name of Jean Michel Lee Shim and addressed to the Passport & Immigration Office, also surfaced in the wake of these attacks. In this letter, he invites a Sri Lankan to stay in Mauritius for a fixed period of 15 days, covering all his expenses, and promising that he would not stay in the country illegally: “I have invited Junadee Mohamed Rigik, passport No N 8369620 to be my guest for 15 days. I hold myself responsible for all his expenses regarding housing, food and accommodation. Also, for medical expenses if any. I give the undertaking that he would not stay in the country illegally”.

These repeated incidents highlight a broader problem in the Mauritian horse racing industry. Jean Michel Lee Shim's maneuvers are causing concern in the political world among his government supporters and his opposition opponents, who see, for some, an omnipotent and uncontrolled actor and, for others, a troublesome and cumbersome financier. . A resignation from the Minister of Labor, Soodesh Callychurn would be welcome in this context to reassure the population and foreign observers that the Mauritian government unreservedly condemns these acts from another era. Furthermore, recent revelations about a doping case, involving one of them being coached by one of his close collaborators, only add to the controversy and indignation.

As the foreign workers scandal comes to light, speculations arise among Mauritian employees in Balaclava about other past events, such as the alleged sabotage of the Champ de Mars in 2022. This affair, unresolved to date, could resurface surface as new information emerges and political pressure mounts. 2024 will definitely not be a year like any other for the Mauritian horse racing world, already marked by two cases of doping that the Horse Racing Division (HRD) had to recognize after the publication of related articles in the daily Le Mauricien, following letters anonymous denouncing by name the cases of doping finally recognized by the HRD of the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA)!