On the 28th February, 1997 forty (40) plots of Government land
were transferred to L’Union Estate Company Limited for the nominal sum of Seychelles
Rupee one only (SR1/-). The land transfer document was dated 23rd January 1997;
signed by Mr. Joseph Nourrice on behalf of the Government and by Mr. Gregoire
Payet on behalf of L’Union Estate.
Mr. France Albert Rene was the President in 1997 and Mr.
Dolor Ernesta was the Minister for Land Use and Habitat. We have no proof that the
said transfer was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and for what purpose at
the time. President Michel formed part of the Cabinet of Ministers in 1997.
James Michel says there is no evidence of corruption; but
this information was made public over 2 years ago in a national newspaper. Is
this President blind and deaf?The corruption and trickery that went on by people
in powerful position to lay their hands on a plot of land out of the said forty
plots on La Digue was incredible.
Dolor Ernesta , central committee member for Parti Lepep, made
sure that he also benefitted personally in the deal; two beach front plots
(LD756 & LD757) with private beach were transferred to his father for seventy
five thousand ( R75,000) rupees only. Dolor Ernesta has since sold one of the plots
(LD756) to La Passe Corail (PTY) Limited for five million rupees (R5, 000,000).
At least this is the price on the transfer document. This is totally unacceptable.
On the 25th August 1997; LD756 and LD757 was
transferred to Mr Alphonse Betsy for SR75,000. It will be interesting to find
out where the money to pay for the land came from; was it from his savings
account or did Mr Alphonse Betsy take out a bank loan? The title deed of the
sale was registered on the3rd of September 1997; a mere eight days after the
signature. However by a great coincidence on the 18th of December
1997, Mr Alphonse Betsy made his will/testament giving Mr Dolor Ernesta all his
personal belongings, in particular his properties known as LD756 and LD757.
Dolor Ernesta waited eight long years to register this document on 18th
September 2006.
LD756 represents 6022 square metres of land situated at Anse
Gaulette, La Digue, by the sea. LD757 represents 1961 square metres land also
situated at Anse Gaulette, next to LD756. These are 2 pieces of prime
properties going to one man, an old man who happened to be the father of Dolor
Ernesta the minister of land at the time. There is something very wrong about
this transaction. On the 20th of March 2012, Dolor Ernesta sold
LD756 for 5 million rupees (SR5, 000,000) according to the title deed of sale registered
on 22nd March, 2012. This is a piece of land that Dolor Ernesta (former land
minister) got for nothing, if we are to believe the many transactions
undertaken by him and his lawyers. It seems that not everything was done
according to the rules and regulations (Laws of Seychelles).This evidence was
completely ignored by President Michel. Dolor Ernesta used his position as
minister to engineer the whole transaction for him to get the two plots of
land.
