Tuesday, September 12, 2017

PRESIDENT MICHEL USES COURT TO PUNISH OPPONENT

Revisited:President James Michel  is using  a compliant Court to punish people who opposed him.

Bernard Sullivan, a supporter of the SNP, has been confined to a police jail for nine days on a court order based on a flimsy and unjustifiable  accusation of having made a threat and inciting violence against the  person of the President because of a comment on his Facebook page.

On March 28, 2011, Sullivan, an avid blogger on Seychelles politics, had referred to the role of James Michel in the coup d’etat of 1977 on his Facebook page. He had referred to the armed overthrow of the legitimate government as an act of treason, with a comment which amounted  to saying that Michel should be brought to justice for it.

On June 9 2011, a State prosecutor brought Sullivan  before the Victoria Magistrate’s Court  and asked that he be remanded in custody. The police have stated by an affidavit placed before the Court that the comment was a threat on the life of the President and said Sullivan’s incarceration was necessary for them to conduct investigations and to prevent him from interfering with evidence.

Sullivan’s lawyer, Bernard Georges, argued that the request was unjustified because the Facebook page had been copied and was available on the internet outside of Sullivan’s control. There was no other evidence that Sullivan could interfere with, hesaid, and the police had had over five weeks to take any action. He pointed out to the Court that the Police had done nothing since March 28 when the alleged threat was made, which would signify that they did not consider it to be a threat at all. (Picture: Sullivan led off to jail)



Georges told the Court that the custody order would be only a means to punish Sullivan pre-emptively, because no charge would be brought or, if brought, would never justify conviction.

Magistrate Brassel Adeline, who is a former official of Mr. Michel’s ruling ‘Parti Lepep’,  ordered remand of nine days in police custody.


Source: SNPseychelles.sc 6-10-11