In 2018 a whistleblower alerted the financier African Development Bank (ADB) that the award to BWSC occurred after bribes had been received by several CEB employees through an intermediary of BWSC who owns a Mauritian construction company.
[5][6] In early June 2020 Leader of Opposition Arvin Boolell raised this issue in the Parliament.
[10] Observers also questioned the basis for the significant capital expenditures, given the remote risk of a power black-out on the island.
[11] In July 2020 the contracting firm PAD & Company Limited (PAD & Co. Ltd.) was placed under voluntary administration and firm BDO was appointed as administrator after facing liquidity problems following revelations of fake bank guarantees for civil works contract of the order of Rs 210 Millions, as well as earlier revelations of the firm's involvement in the BWSC-CEB-ADB St Louis gate scandal.
[13] On 05 September 2020 Bertrand Lagesse was arrested in Mauritius for contravening Articles 3 (1) (b), 6 and 8 of the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act since May 2016.