The lifeless body of
guest of honour of the STA’s graduation ceremony discovered yesterday afternoon
off Anse Lislet near Port Glaud church.
The director of
Mauritius’ tourism academy, Harmon Chellen died in mysterious circumstances
yesterday afternoon. His body was discovered after he had walked out of a
police interview. The 52 year-old Mauritian national was residing at the
Constance Ephelia hotel and was supposed to leave Seychelles yesterday. The
police did not wish to divulge the identity of the man before his family had
been notified of the tragedy, but Constance Ephelia confirmed in a press
release last night that the body found was indeed Mr Chellen’s.
According to a press
release from the hotel, Mr Chellen left the establishment at 9.30 am in the
company of the police. Police spokesperson Jean Toussaint told TODAY that a
female worker at his hotel had accused Mr. Chellen of having sexually assaulted
her on Sunday night. The matter was reported to the police yesterday morning.
The police say that when they interrogated him, his attitude was
«uncooperative” and that he “walked out” on them, some time between 1.30pm and
2pm. Then, at around 2.50pm, the police received the report that a lifeless
body had been found in the sea near Port Glaud church. The police say they are
treating the case as a possible suicide but are waiting the postmortem for
confirmation.
Mr Chellen arrived in
Seychelles last Wednesday to attend the graduation ceremony of the Seychelles
Tourism Academy (STA) as its guest of honour. Poignantly, Minister Alain St
Ange who was very well acquainted with the late Mr Chellen, sent out a press
release yesterday before Mr Chellen’s body had been found to inform the press
of the warm words Harmon Chellen had had for him. “Mr Harmon Chellen showed
that the ties of friendship between Mauritius and Seychelles were solid and
based on nothing less than mutual respect. Mr Chellen, the Training Centre
Manager at the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development and the Ecole
Hotelière Sir Gaetan Duval, praised the accomplishments of the Seychelles and
congratulated the work undertaken by Minister Alain St.Ange, the island's Minister
responsible for Tourism and Culture”, the press release from the ministry of
Tourism read.
Mr Chellen
unwittingly made the last speech of his life at the Seychelles Tourism Academy
last Thursday during its graduation ceremony. Addressing the graduates, he
quoted Mark Twain and said: "Twenty years from now you will be more
disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So
throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds
in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
In a press release
sent last night, Constance Ephelia said that the “wellbeing and privacy of its
guests and team members is at the heart of the resort’s concerns. The resort
would like to express their sincere condolences to the bereaved family. The
resort will offer counselling and support to all team members who are aggrieved
by this situation. An enquiry is under way and the resort cannot comment
further at this stage”.
Harmon Chellen leaves behind him a wife and two children.
Source: Today
Source: Today
