Kistnen Affair: Berenger Accuses Ramgoolam of Broken Promises

The Kistnen affair is back in the spotlight after opposition leader Paul Berenger used his weekly press conference on Saturday 1 November to publicly back Simla Kistnen, the widow at the centre of one of Mauritius's most politically charged cases in recent years.

Simla Kistnen had recently stated that she felt she was used for electoral purposes, suggesting her cooperation and public appearances were exploited to help secure a victory for the current government. Berenger, leader of the Mouvement Militant Mauricien (MMM), said he fully agreed with her assessment and that she was entirely justified in speaking out.

For those unfamiliar with the case, Soopramanien Kistnen was a local party activist whose body was found in a sugarcane field in Constituency No. 8, Quartier Militaire and Moka, in October 2020. His death, initially treated as a suicide, became deeply controversial after his wife alleged foul play and produced diary entries pointing to links with senior political figures. The case has remained a flashpoint in Mauritian politics ever since.

Berenger directed his criticism squarely at Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, accusing him of having made repeated promises to Simla Kistnen that were never kept. He did not detail the specific nature of those promises at the press conference but made clear he viewed the situation as a serious breach of trust.

Joanna Berenger, also speaking at the press conference, extended the criticism to Damry, a Junior Minister elected in Constituency No. 8. She alleged that Damry had also made promises to Simla Kistnen that remained unfulfilled. Constituency No. 8 covers the Quartier Militaire and Moka area, the same region where Soopramanien Kistnen was active and where his body was discovered.

The MMM has long positioned itself as a vocal critic of how successive governments have handled the Kistnen case, arguing that justice has been slow and political accountability absent. These latest statements suggest the party intends to keep the issue alive ahead of any future political developments.

Neither Prime Minister Ramgoolam's office nor Junior Minister Damry had responded publicly to the allegations at the time of reporting.

What this means: For Mauritian voters, the Kistnen affair touches on deep concerns about the relationship between political power, electoral campaigning and accountability. Allegations that a grieving widow was made promises in exchange for political cooperation, and that those promises were then ignored, are likely to fuel ongoing public distrust in the political process. The MMM's decision to revisit the case signals that it remains a potent issue in Mauritian political debate.

Source: ION News