There are  no other words than “shameful, inelegant, inappropriate, cheap and vulgar” to describe the action taken by some members of the Bank of Mauritius Board of Directors hardly a day after Government announced its intention of setting up a Fact Finding Committee (FFC)  to investigate allegations of abuse of power against Rundheersing Bheenick, the Governor of the Bank.

First, they had no business whatsoever to call a press conference. They should have, at least , waited for the next monthly meeting of the board to air their views and decide on the action to follow. Or at best, they could have formally written to the PM or the Minister of Finance expressing their wish for the Governor to step down or to quit, if they deemed it imperative.

They should  have even waited for the FFC to be set up and taken cognisance of its terms of reference. They didn't do anything of that sort. They burnt all civilised channels of communication and discretion expected of bankers and banking people. They reacted like vulgar political nominees out to wash their dirty linen on the pavement of Port Louis and, in the process, soil the reputation and the good name of the bank—an act that no responsible authority can condone.

I do not find any reason for the directors to come on the pavement to talk to the media when they were refused a place inside the bank. They forget that none of them is the boss. Bheenick is. Without his permission, they have no right whatsoever to do as they please—not even when dictated by some occult forces in the Government.

Secondly, if they were hellbent or dictated by someone to hold a press conference, they could have looked for a decent place—and  there are many in Port Louis available for free. Alternatively, I'm sure, many of the directors have their own offices. They could have convened the media to one of them. But no. They didn't. They wanted to seek attention; so they come on the pavement like a disgruntled bunch in search of cheap publicity.

They wanted to create a drama where there wasn't any. I sincerely believe this board wants to settle scores with Bheenick. It's not acting in the interest of the bank. The members deserve the sack. They have no reason to be in the bank. If the  PM and the Finance Minister allow them to stay, it will be all too clear that they too are after Bheenick's skin,  one of our finest brains, if not one of the best economists.