Kistnen Case: Berenger Demands Scotland Yard Investigators Be Named

Opposition leader Paul Berenger has renewed pressure over the Kistnen affair, demanding that the identities of former Scotland Yard investigators involved in the case be publicly disclosed.

The Kistnen case remains one of the most politically sensitive investigations in Mauritius in recent years. It centres on the death of Soopramanien Kistnen, a supporter and agent of the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), the party that was in government under former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth. His body was found in a field in Richelieu, in the west of Mauritius, in October 2020. The case was officially recorded as a suicide, but his widow, Simla Kistnen, has long contested that finding, alleging her husband was murdered.

The affair drew further attention when diaries and documents allegedly belonging to Kistnen surfaced, appearing to link senior political figures to election-related activities. Those documents became the subject of a public inquiry that gripped the island.

Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service in London and a globally recognised centre of criminal investigation expertise, was called upon to assist Mauritian authorities at some stage of the proceedings. The involvement of foreign investigators was seen by many observers as an attempt to lend independence and credibility to a case that had already become deeply politicised.

Berenger, who leads the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM), one of Mauritius's longest-established opposition parties, is now insisting that the names of the Scotland Yard officers who worked on the case be revealed. His demand suggests he believes transparency about who conducted, or contributed to, the investigation is essential to understanding the conclusions that were reached.

The call adds a new dimension to ongoing scrutiny of how the case was handled under the previous government. Since the general elections of November 2024, in which the opposition Alliance du Changement swept to power, several matters related to the former administration have come under fresh examination.

Berenger has been a consistent and vocal critic of how the Kistnen matter was managed, and his latest demand signals that the political and judicial fallout from the case is far from over.

The Mauritius Police Force has not yet responded publicly to Berenger's request. It is not clear whether the identities of the Scotland Yard officers are protected under any confidentiality arrangement between the two police services.

What this means: For ordinary Mauritians and international observers following the case, the push to name the foreign investigators is really a push for greater accountability. If the identities are revealed, it becomes easier for families, journalists and lawmakers to question those investigators directly about their findings and methods. Berenger's demand reflects a wider appetite in Mauritius, particularly since the change of government, for full transparency over a case that many believe was never properly resolved.

Source: Le Defi Media