HOW DO YOU FIND SEYCHELLES?

By Terry Payet

In addition to what I said in the interview due to limiting time, there's an increase in prostitution, drug and alcohol abuse. Despite an increase in cars on the road, there's no provision integrated into the system for clean air; I expected to see strict laws and regulations for emission control. Despite all the bragging about protecting the environment, there is no mandatory law for vehicles to be equipped with catalytic converters which should be tested every 2 years. There is no proper program in place for recycling and people are not discouraged for littering.

There is no control on imported goods. Most of the goods have Arabic labels and other writings in addition to English on them. We are not an Arabic nation and there should not be any Arabic labels on our goods. Since most people communicate in English and/or French, I believe that labels should be in these languages like before.

Terry Payet wants his rights!

The ratio of foreigners to locals working in Seychelles is astonishing for such a small country that depends on only 2 main industries (Tourism and Fisheries). This is helping a net outflow of foreign exchange which in turn helps depreciate our rupee. Foreigners are making more than twice what locals are making for the same jobs and they are encouraged to invest instead of our own for quick cash as well as kick backs for those involved in these deals.

People working in the government who have high salaries are also striking deals with the government and winning tenders when they should not. Example is the Gas stations at Beau Vallon and Grand Anse. There are also powerful drug dealers operating within the government and nothing is being done about it and no wonder why they have lost the war on drugs.

Businesses are being taxed unfairly, while many people are making huge amount of money without being taxed. I can go on for days about the dire situation of the country. We have 2 main telecom companies that are not providing satisfactory service to their customers. A third of the time, sometimes, there's no network, and there are no policies set forth by any overlooking body, to address these issues.

Terry Payet on the left during a marathon with Albert Marie

 The judiciary continues to be a farce and controlled by State House. It has become stressful to live in our country, unless you are one of the fat cats in the government or have a private business doing extremely well. It's simply a total mess and getting worse.

The government will continue with its IMF programs by passing bills that will increase inflation and tax businesses even higher, instead of implementing sound reforms to salvage the economy, such as reductions in government spending which adds no benefit to the economy. Our health system is in total disarray providing mediocre service to the public and there is tremendous wastage which is adding a burden to tax payers. Everywhere one looks there are problems that can be fixed but this government is so incompetent and corrupt and if they are given another term our children will not know the beauty of our country which is being taken over by Arabs and other foreigners, let alone being able to afford for a living.

SEYCHELLES NEWLY AMENDED ELECTORAL ACT ALREADY BROKEN

The registration of voters for the next elections opened yesterday amid controversy. The exercise will close on 29 January.The amended Electoral Act 2014 has barely been enacted than it has been broken and by none other than the Electoral Commission.

 This comes as the Voters Register- the bible for the holding of elections -, opens for consultations and changes for this year. According to the amended law the register should remain open at all times, but the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Hendrick Gappy has said that this will not be the case this year.

Mr Gappy told the SBC that due to a lack of resources it will not be possible for the register to remain open in the districts throughout the year, but will only be available in their constituencies to the public for consultation and changes for the usual two weeks.

 In a press release, Mr Gappy pointed out that the National Voter Registration exercise for 2015 will be conducted under existing laws whilst structures are put in place to facilitate implementation of the Elections (Amendment) 2014”.

The Electoral Commission is now operating without its Chief Electoral Officer since the retirement of Jenny Adrienne. The Commission is in the process of finding a suitable candidate to replace her and has advertised the post. According to Mr Gappy, leaving the register open all year round will entail hiring officers to provide that service in the districts as well as other logistics which are not in place currently.

However, he has not explained why the register cannot remain opened at the Office of the Electoral Commission itself, as many feel this would have provided a means of complying with the stipulations of the Electoral Act, instead of just ignoring them altogether.

 Maintaining an open voters’ register had been one of the cornerstones of the recommendations of the electoral reform consultations and one which all parties had agreed to. In a press conference held last week to announce its participation in the elections due early 2016, the Seychelles National Party had hailed the inclusion of this measure in the amended law as one of the achievements of the consultations.

The announcement by Hendrick Gappy that the Commission will in effect be disregarding the law, has raised criticisms.

“This is a slap in the face of those who worked hard to get this included in the reforms. It means that no matter what the law says, the Commission can still do what it wants!” one man wishing to remain anonymous commented.

“There is no reason why they cannot leave it open at their offices. Anyway it is available for inspection there, so all they needed to do was to allow for changes to be made during the year until they are ready to go to the districts. What is the use of having laws if anyone can flaunt them like this?” another asked.

While the Chief Electoral Commissioner has said that the register will not immediately remain open after the 14 day period set for its inspection, he did say that this situation will last until they can set up later during the year. However there was no time frame given for this to happen.

Even if the elections are scheduled to take place by February next year, it remains possible that they could be brought forward and be held towards the end of this year.

“If we have an election this year, we cannot have a minus mark in its preparations so early on. I hope the Electoral Commission will revise its position on this matter,” Frank D, a young stated..

Source: Today

SEYCHELLES POLICE IMPLICATED IN CHELLEN MURDER?

The Mauritian lawyer has been granted permission by the Attorney General’s office to take part in the hearings for the inquest into the death of Harmon Chellen. The hearings will take place in March. In this interview, Mr Rama Valayden says he is convinced that there have been inconsistencies in the approach of police and Constance Ephelia hotel.

You came over for the inquest into the death of Harmon Chellen set up by the Attorney General with the intention of asking for permission to take part in the proceedings. Are you happy with your working visit?

In the circumstances of this particular case, I must say that I am satisfied with the way things went. Firstly, I think the inquest before Magistrate Adeline went rather well because I was told before coming over that there would be a lot of problems but the magistrate did seem keen to iron out all the obstacles and he agreed to the request to postpone the hearing until March to give us enough time to carry out our investigation. Secondly, the Attorney General (AG) agreed to meet with us – a meeting that took place with the help of local lawyer Joel Camille, who is working with us. The meeting went very well. I must add that the AG also met with members of the family. He spoke of the intricacies of the case in front of the members of the family, which I think is a good thing.

 So yes, I am very impressed by the AG’s commitment to transparency which can only bode well. Thirdly, I am happy with the progress of my own inquiry. No criminal lawyer worth his salt will conduct a case without at least carrying out his own enquiry. In a very short span of time, we have been able to meet several people and to obtain information that wasn’t available before. I have been able to obtain photos, testimonies, visit certain places and meet workers of the hotel and have thus been able to fill in the gaps in the timeframe during which Mr Chellen was unaccounted for.

So you are saying that now you have a clear picture of what happened?

Yes and now that I have a clear picture, I am convinced that there have been many irregularities in this case.

On whose part?

I am economical with the truth when I say irregularities. I think it was more than that. But to answer your question, I think the irregularities came from the hotel and the police. I am basing this statement on the information I have received and obviously, all this information needs to be checked and crosschecked. It is important that the people who have imparted this information feel confident enough to come to court to depone. If not, all that information will go to waste. But at the very least, for the members of the family to know now what really went on that fatal Monday is a big consolation and it gives them comfort and helps them in their period of mourning.

Can you give us an idea of the chain of events that led to the death of Mr Chellen?

It’s not hard to retrace the steps of Mr Chellen. The police will have to produce the CCTV footage of the hotel before the court. This is important because we must know how many police officers went to the hotel to take Mr Chellen. Not just that, it is also important to know the type of vehicle they used. What is also of utmost important is to find out how Mr Chellen was dressed when he left the hotel. This is important because in these sorts of cases, it is important to look at the details. I can tell you that the clothes Harmon Chellen was wearing on the Monday morning when he left the hotel to go to the police station were later found in his suitcase!

Are you sure?

I am. And that suitcase was at the hotel. The family has already recuperated it. So how does one explain that he had those clothes on when he went to the station and those clothes were later found in the suitcase that was left at the hotel?

So what are you saying – that he went back to the hotel?

No. What I am saying is that this is the first information that gives you an indication that there is something wrong – how come the suit was back in the suitcase when Mr Chellen supposedly never went back to the hotel? Does this mean that Harmon Chellen did in fact go back to the hotel? The CCTV footage of the hotel will enlighten us on this. Also if he returned to the hotel, people must have seen him. This gives another dimension to the case. On the other hand, if he did not return to the hotel, how did the clothes end up there? The only people who could have put it there are the police.

With the help of people at the hotel, presumably?

Maybe the police went to the hotel after they found Mr Chellen’s body and they went to pick the suitcase up as part of the enquiry. But then they must explain what they did with the suit. I must remind you that Mr CHellen was found with his shirt, shoes and belt missing. And we all know that shoes and belt are always removed from a prisoner when he is under arrest. The belt is removed so that the person doesn’t use it to commit suicide and the shoes to prevent the person from running away. The shirt was probably taken from him because he was feeling hot in the cell. Let’s not forget there are three cells in the Port Glaud police station.

So he was actually in a cell? The police have never confirmed this.

I am not sure but it does stand to reason that one would not be without one’s shirt, belt and shoes while waiting at the reception.

 But this is what the police have said so far – that he was waiting at the reception because they were waiting for another officer to interrogate him! Yes it is indeed what they have said officially so far. We must verify this information. The police must be able to substantiate what they say. We all know that the Port Glaud police station is a very small station, three metres by four. The reception and the place where the officer stands measures only one metre. One can easily see what people are doing. Was the station busy on that day? Were they attending to other requests? All these things will have to come out.

Have you managed to speak to police officers so far?

I have not yet been communicated the version of the police. But I’ll get it eventually as this information will have to come to court. The Magistrate was adamant when he said to the representatives of the AG office that they must make available all the documentary evidence. This includes the occurrence book.

If you have been able in just two days to get that much information, it follows that the information would have been available to anyone who’d asked the right questions?

Maybe it’s easy to say this now after I have pondered on the case for a long period of time. Spending a lot of time thinking about a case does help you with regards to the questions you have to ask. Or maybe I’m just lucky! And maybe the people who spoke to me were scared to speak to other people. You know, when you are conducting an enquiry, people must feel free to talk to you, they must also be confident that whatever they say to you won’t be repeated elsewhere or held against them. Confidentiality must be respected.

And this reluctance to talk could actually undermine the inquest. Let’s say you keep on digging and you find more information to support your case but you have no one to corroborate this in court. What happens?

There are many layers in this case and the first one will be quasi impossible to prove: the innocence or guilt of Mr Chellen with regards to the allegations of harassment. He is not here today and we only have the lady’s word.

This won’t be part of the inquest though?

No. Unfortunately, they called the lady perhaps to set the basis as to why the police came to get Mr Chellen in the first place. Again the CCTV footage of the hotel should help clear things up. The testimonies of the people at the hotel who spoke to Mr Chellen about the complaint and his reaction to the accusation will also help. When the police called at the hotel, what did they do? Did they arrest Mr Chellen? Did they force him to come with them? Was Mr Chellen in the company of the lady as well as her husband when he left the hotel? Were they in the same van? Did the police take the statements straight away? Did Mr Chellen resist arrest? Did he ask for a lawyer? Having known Mr Chellen for a long time and having studied with him in London, I know that faced with such a situation, he would have wanted to speak to a lawyer. I am sure of that. There was no attempt to get in touch with a lawyer and yet Mr Chellen was a man who knew his rights.

 So I think we’ll find at the very least that there has definitely been negligence in this case. But I also think there’s a chance that there was more than just negligence and so many questions will need to be asked and I know they will not be in favour of the police because of the time schedule.

The discrepancies in the timeline are what had initially raised doubts about the version of the police…

Yes and sadly for some police officers, everything will come out. I say sadly because the famous question of Watergate will have to be asked: what did you do when you knew?

The timeline doesn’t add up, like we said. Have you been able to find out more about this?

Rumour has it that at one time the police phoned the AG for a stop order. The police are now in a quandary because they keep saying there was no arrest. If there was no arrest, why would there have been an objection to departure? What we know is that everything that the police entered into the book was done after 2.15pm. And in the book, there isn’t anything about Mr Chellen’s arrest.

 The first statement that came from the police said he had escaped at about 1.30 and that his body was found at 2.50pm. Does that make sense to you?

 No. I quizzed the person who saw the body in the sea and he said the body was found at 2.50pm. When the person found the body, he phoned the police and then he went to the shore to get help and then when he went back the body had moved so he spent another 20 minutes looking for it. Fishermen confirm this. They also confirm that the police refused to help them to pick the body. I don’t know if this is the protocol but this is what happened.

At this point, after having spoken to the AG and seen things for yourself, are you confident that the inquest will give an indication of what happened?

I am sure the inquest will help us to find the truth and we’ll definitely see that some things have gone amiss.

The Mauritian government sent an officer, Mr Gerard, on a watching brief. How did that work out?

I have been given to understand that he was not even been able to see any official documents, let alone evidence.

So it was a wasted trip?

Indeed and I am going to write a report to inform government of this. Mr Gerard wasn’t even allowed to visit the Port Glaud station. Yet I was and contrarily to him, I wasn’t on official business. He wasn’t able to meet the police officers who were in charge of the enquiry. He only obtained an appointment an hour and a half before he was supposed to leave the country. This perception is that Mr Gerard was not given all the facilities to give a helping hand, despite the fact that his presence follows an agreement between the governments of the two countries.

But isn’t Mauritius undermining Seychelles when they insist on sending a police officer? The death occurred in Seychelles, shouldn’t it be down to the Seychelles police to do their job?

Mr Gerard was here because there was a protocol between Mauritius and Seychelles. He was here officially so there is no question of undermining. In cases like this, one must look beyond borders. It’s about justice and human beings. Mauritius and Seychelles can give the example of cooperation to find the truth. It shouldn’t be a matter of ego.

Had the situation been reversed, would Mauritius have allowed Seychelles access? You are a former AG – would you have helped?

I would have given them all the facilities because the truth is what matters. In the case of the murder of the tourist Michaela Harte, Mauritius gave a lot of latitude to the family who were the guests of government. They were treated as VIPs, they had police officers to escort them. In court, they were given special places, they were received by police officers, and their barrister was allowed to ask questions during the trial at the Assizes. Lawyers like myself who were defending accused parties never had any objections.

Were the Irish police involved?

 Yes, they received all information and facilities. It all depends on the goodwill of the government.

Source:Today

SEYCHELLES NATIONAL PARTY TO TAKE PART IN ELECTIONS

The party held a press conference to confirm its return to the political scene and to give its views on electoral reform.

The Seychelles National Party (SNP) has confirmed its intention to return to active politics. Indeed, despite its reservations about the outcome of the electoral reform process, the party “will be taking part in the next elections due to be held in 2016”, its leader, Wavel Ramkalawan, announced during a press conference on Thursday.

This follows a peaceful march against vehicle-related taxes it organised on December 29, 2014. “What we have today is not an opposition, it’s just a watchdog of the ruling party”, he denounced. Accordingly, the SNP will organise a series of meetings in the different districts, starting at the end of the month and has already finalised a list of 25 candidates for the National Assembly elections.

 The party also circulated a statement in which it commented the electoral reform anticlimax.

“From the outset, the SNP knew it would not obtain everything that it had set out to accomplish. However, the whole process and its final outcome has one again shown that the Parti Lepep cannot be trusted even when it gives its word. The majority of recommendations of the Electoral Commission (EC) have not been accepted. The Parti Lepep has gone back on its word to participate fairly alongside other parties and not to use its executive power to overrule the final recommendations. Instead they have brought in amendments of their own and going as far as rejecting proposals they made at the forum”, the document averred.

Among the shortcomings indentified by the SNP are the absence of a ceiling for electoral expenses; the decision not to provide assisted voters with two electoral officers to prevent “bullying” by party activists; the need to provide the names and addresses of donors who contribute SCR5 000 and above (“the SNP sees this as a means to scare would-be donors especially those giving to the opposition”); and the denial of financial assistance to political parties as a way of “sustaining the democratic process”. The electoral reform forum wasn’t however a completely fruitless endeavour. The SNP recognised, for instance, that the maintenance of an open voter’s register, the right for persons in remand to vote and the possibility for opposition candidates to campaign on polling day as positive advances.

“The Seychelles National Party fully engages itself in persisting in the fight to strengthen our democracy. As we endeavour to bring about further change in our electoral laws, while at the same time being fully engaged in transforming society and ridding it of all the social ills that are slowly destroying the family, our youth and our vital institutions, we wish to announce today that the SNP will be taking part in the next elections due to be held in 2016”, the statement claimed. And as a way of showing their exemplarity, former SNP members of the National Assembly committed to donate 5% of their pension to the party.

Source:Today

PROTEST IN SEYCHELLES; OPPOSITION TAKES TO THE STREETS AGAINST NEWLY INTRODUCED TAXES

Opposition supporters converged on the normally sleepy Seychelles' capital, Victoria to make their voices heard against the Michel Administration's decision to hike taxes on vehicles, road tax, alcohol and cigarette amongst others. Protestors say the burden of taxes are too much, that the Government is punishing middle income earners but that the increase will spiral the cost of living domestically.

One of the protestors John Servina who is a truck driver expressed his concerns regarding the increase in taxes especially the 67% increase in road tax. "Next year, I will have to increase the fees that I charge for my trips and pass on the taxes to the consumers," he said.

“Today marks the beginning of our political involvement. We’ve been quiet for the past three years but we intend to start mobilizing at district and national levels. We are back at the forefront!”, the leader of the Seychelles National Party (SNP), Wavel Ramkalawan, stated  after his party’s demonstration against this year’s budget speech yesterday.

The objective of the peaceful march, which saw the participation of more than 100 people yesterday afternoon, was to denounce the increase in a raft of vehicle-related taxes introduced earlier this month. Mr Ramkalawan announced that this event was the first in a series of activities his party intends to conduct next year. In January, the SNP will pronounce itself on whether or not it plans to take part in the next presidential elections. But if yesterday’s declarations are anything to go by, it appears likely that the party will contest the 2016 electoral joust.

Despite having granted permission to the SNP to conduct its demonstration in Victoria, the police offered no traffic management support to the marchers brandishing placards with messages like “Too many taxes in Seychelles”, “Reduce transport taxes” and “Stop making Creoles suffer”. This did not appear to faze them in the least however and the march proceeded in an orderly fashion from its starting point at the Stad Popiler car park, past the Victoria Clock Tower and Central Police Station before veering right towards the Immaculate Conception cathedral, then past Camion Hall and back to the car park. The demonstration drew smiles and comments from onlookers who captured the event on their mobile phones.

As Mr Ramkalawan explained at the outset, the march wasn’t solely for the benefit for those who will be handicapped by the rising cost of purchasing and owning a vehicle. Indeed, higher transport costs will doubtless be passed onto consumers who are already suffering from the depreciation of the rupee and attendant inflation.”We’re not just defending vehicle owners. These transport taxes will trickle down. The cost of living will increase. The people of Seychelles as a whole will feel this increases”, the SNP leader railed. He denounced the wastage of public funds which, he believes, is at least partly responsible for the introduction of these new fiscal measures. “It’s not because we own vehicles that we have to pay for bad planning!”, he declaimed.

 At the end of the march, his speech took on a more political dimension. “When we look at the direction the country is going, each of us should become leaders. If we all stand up for what we believe in, things will change. It’s not just about a new government; what’s more important is that whole population is treated with dignity and respect. There shouldn’t be the need to satisfy politicians for one to get ahead in life”, he boomed before warning that Seychellois run the risk of becoming second class citizens in their own country. “Next year the message will come out. We will go all out starting in January”, he announced. Among the issues the SNP will address in 2015 are pensions and social security disbursements, which Mr Ramkalawan deems inadequate in the face of the rising cost of living.

SEYCHELLES PROTEST MARCH AGAINST THE NEW INCREASED TAXES OF CAR OWNERS

Car owners are being punished for their hard work, the SNP leader has indicated. All car owners and the public in general are invited to join in for us to protest on Monday 29^th December against the new taxes on cars. It will start at 4pm at the Stadium Carpark going towards the clock tower, Central Police Station, Quincy Street, Immaculate Conception, Albert Street and back to the Stadium Car Park.

The leader of the Seychelles National Party (SNP), Wavel Ramkalawn, has notified the Commissioner of Police, Ernest Quatre and the protest march is on. The public procession will be a “protest march against the new increased taxes of car owners”, Mr Ramkalawan said in his notification to the Commissioner.  A 67% increase in road tax is set to come into effect on the 1^st of January 2015 as well as a 50% increase in levy of new cars. All Parti Lepep National Assembly members voted for the increase without consulting their constituents that elected them.

Mr Ramkalawan`s call was heard and debated on Social Media and if support his posts have received is anything to go by, there will be a good turnout; even some coming all the way from La digue.  “Let`s show them that the Seychellois people are not afraid”, he called.

“The budget for 2015 targets vehicle owners in a nasty way” Mr Ramkalawan opined, saying it was important to “make our views known. We cannot be punished for having invested in a vehicle. We have done that for our families. We have to stand up against such discrimination”, he said.

The people who will be affected by this are “all workers who have made well-calculated sacrifies”  Mr Ramkalawan stated this os how new taxes will affect car owners. “Today a person who has a 1200cc vehicle is charged the following: SR150 at the testing station+ SR1800 for road tax=SR1950. As of 2015, the person will be charged: SR300 at the testing station and SR3000 for road tax = SR3300. A difference of SR1350”

“Is that fair? How many car owners will receive a salary increase of SR 1350 in 2015? Mr Ramkalawan said.

SEYCHELLES CAPITAL RUNNING OUT OF PUBLIC TOILETS

Closure of public toilets in Victoria causes anger whilst the buck is being passed; taxi drivers and tourists are getting impatient.

Last week complains from taxi drivers, tourists and members of the public about the shutting down of the public toilets at the taxi terminal in Victoria ignited. The public toilets were a donation from the Regatta Seychelles Round Table in 1983 and for many years these amenities served their purpose well. But about five months ago they were shut down. Davidson Madeleine, the taxi association chairman, confirmed that three months ago he evoked the issue during a meeting with Vice President (VP) Danny Faure and his secretary Jeanne Simeon.

The VP apparently promised to help but nothing has been done so far. But upon arriving at the taxi terminal last week, taxi drivers were very frustrated and demanded that government, through the mayor’s office, give them access to public toilets. Mr. Madeleine also added that in early November he met with the Minister of Home Affairs and Transport, Joel Morgan, and discussed about the issue.

He stated that the government has failed to give the taxi drivers and other people a toilet in Victoria and yet they are decorating the town with lights.

Several taxi drivers called from security cameras to be installed in the vicinity. “Our government has failed to take action. They want visitors but cannot provide simple toilets in town. I don’t know who is responsible and why they have shut down these facilities. If there is a problem, why don’t they provide us with mobile toilets” mentioned Mr. Madeleine. “Tourists are complaining and asking for toilets”, another taxi driver complained.

The secretary of the Principal Secretary of the ministry of Land Use and Housing (MLUH), Yves Choppy, explained that there is a board comprising representatives from the public health sector, environment, the Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA), and more. He added that it was difficult to identify who is in charge of such facilities in Victoria. But the executive director of the office of the mayor of Victoria, Lydia Charlie, confirmed in the absence of Jacqueline Moustache-Belle that all public toilets are the property of MLUH.

SOURCE: TODAY

A SET UP FOR LAND SCAM IN SEYCHELLES?

The monolith at North East Point has been standing for several years till the government decided it should be demolished.

The reason given was that the structure had weakened considerably and posed a danger. However, when the demolition work started, a small excavator was brought atop the structure with hydraulic hammer installed. The excavator weighing more than seven tons hammered away at the concrete.

Later a heavier excavator was brought in weighing in excess of ten tons to work atop the structure. It is inconceivable that a structure considered a danger to the public could sustain these massive weights and not crumble. 

Could there be another reason why the monolith had to be demolished???

SEYCHELLES COUP D`ETAT CROOKS HIT JACKPOT; SR 7.7 MILION ALLOCATED FOR 2015 PENSIONS

The Constitutional Posts (Special pension) Bill that was passed by the National Assembly will cost SR7.7Million in 2015. This Bill was supposed to extend life pension - a privilege, already enjoyed by former politicians of the present Third Republic to those having served since Independence.

A proviso contained in the bill, which stipulates that such constitutional appointees must have held office for a minimum of 48 months (4 years), however, it effectively barred ministers and Legislative Assembly members in the coalition Government era or those who served in the First Republic. Since they were there for less than a year - since Independence on June 29, 1976 and were removed the by a coup d'état on June 5 1977, they do not qualify. This is a complete disgrace and a final nail in the coffin for national reconciliation.

Most members of the First Republic's Legislative Assembly are no longer around. In those days, we had a parliamentary system whereby Ministers were also members of parliament, since they were elected in a constituency. Few of them are around today. Besides David Joubert and Gonzague D'offay, who were both ministers. There is also Philippe Jumeau, elected for Victoria South in the last multiparty election before the June 1977 coup; Rita Savy , nominated member of the SDPSPUP pre-independence coalition and Holden Pierre , another SDP member, twice elected for South Mahe. Danielle Belle was also nominated , like Mrs. Rita Savy, but already benefits under the Third Republic's entitlements.

Another former MP in the Second Republic still around is Bernard Elizabeth - retired from SeyPec and now CEO of the Seychelles Credit Union. He is also a member of the Electoral Commission and draws and salary as a Constitutional appointee. The question of the 2 Republic is more problematical, since members of the People's Assembly earned no salary at all during the one party state era.

Obviously many - like Archange Michel of Anse Aux Pins, Rita Gappy of Mont Buxton, Christie Fred and Armantal Lesperance of Praslin have passed away. But, given that there were three elections held in 1979, 1983 and 1987, in 23 electoral districts, there are still many former MPs around that were uncontested at elections.

 Since members of the People's Assembly did not receive a salary, it appears that their pension will be based on the present MNA salary which is R31,000 monthly. A complete farce and a waste of taxpayer’s money already burdened with many tax increases in the suffocating 2015 budget.

Their pension will be worked out according to the time served, on the condition that it is four years or more. So, many of them are in for a bonanza. But… can the country, already plagued by serious financial difficulties, including an ongoing depreciation of the rupee, afford such largesse?

SEYCHELLES RULED BY ARABS; SULLIMAN DEFIANT!

The Kempinski Resort at Baie Lazare has a private compound under the management of Lazare Properties Limited headed by one Aldakhail Suliman; a man much feared by many working in his employment. For several years, he has employed local personnel on an ad hoc basis to work for the company he heads; he hires and fires at will. The major activity of the company is to offer administrative services to VVIPs, better known as “The Prince” to the workers. Very few people actually know the real name of the VVIP. Whenever the VVIP is at the Kempinski private compound, security is heightened and even the adjacent beach is closed to the public; in fact Suliman informs the district police of the visits and the controlled access to the beach adjacent to the private compound.

 The main task of the casual workers is to serve “The Prince” whether he is at his villa, the Capo Club or the Pavillion; once he departs, there is no job available till the next time he visits. Once he leaves, all the staff is paid by Suliman. They work in two shifts; day shifts from 7 to 4 and night shifts from 5 in the afternoon to 4.30 early morning the following day and paid SR200 per day worked. Two weeks ago, the casuals went on strike as they had not been paid for one trip and an additional six days they had been requested to come back to work. The strike was short lived. They were called in and paid promptly before the media could make it to the gate where they had gathered except for one journalist; Martin.

Following this incident, Suliman has taken remedial action warning the casual workers that any disclosure of what takes place at the private residence will have its consequences. As a punishment for the strike, the casuals claim they have been informed there would be no bonus this year. Many insist there are employment issues that need to be addressed; they are afraid to forward any plaint fearing reprisals. They insist Mr Suliman is well connected and will sue any newspaper that writes anything about the private compound.

 It is also alleged that Mr Suliman acts as the host to top shots from both government and the opposition at his residence but the Seychellois are never used as helpers; Philipinos are used instead. To many residents of Baie Lazare, this is not much of a revelation.

 The private compound has been through much controversy; from electrical fencing to using security detachment to physically prevent the public access to the beach.

SEYCHELLES REAL NATIONAL FLAG THAT WAS BORN ON OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY

By George Chang-Tave

I fully support the motion to reinstate the 1976 Seychelles National Flag. I strongly believe this should get louder and louder and we should never give up on it. The 1976 Seychelles National Flag is the only true legitimate flag of Seychelles. No-one, no matter which government should ever be allowed to change or tamper with it. There is no question that the Flag our Seychelles flew on the day of its independence, the day of the birth of the Seychellois Nation, should remain forever its National Flag. Seychelles Independence Day is and should forever remain the greatest day in the history of Seychelles; there is no doubt about it.

Everything pertaining to this day of such importance should never be allowed to be torn apart from it. Doing so would mean tearing apart the very fabric of the Seychellois Nation. Furthermore, to tear apart any of the attributes of the Independence day 1976, amounts to the worst insult to the dignity of Seychelles. It is all part of the act of treason committed on Seychelles on the 5th June 1977. These were the first things, that were attacked and attempted to be distorted immediately after the coup d'état anyone responsible of such crime should be tried for treason. The Seychelles National Flag 1976 represents so much of Seychelles history and its people.

Albert Rene swearing allegiance to the First Republic; only to commit treason 11 months later

The National Flag should be the most sacred emblem of any nation. The current flag represents a political party. Just like the SPUP->turned SPPF->turned PL, they've changed the flag along as they've disguised themselves (it makes sense you see - there is consistency - the changes SPPF did to their party, they also changed the nations national emblems to suit their needs - everything may not have happened on the same day, but it transpires to be so). The National Flag should be far above partisan politics.

If you look around in the world, in most decent countries (democracies), like the US, UK, France, Holland, Sweden, Germany, India, Kenya, Jamaica even Mauritius, (except in some banana republics) whenever they make political changes, they NEVER EVER change their flag, because their flag is their nations' identity. When a country changes its National flag too many times, it suggests their nation's foundation is not solid. If you look around in the world, you will notice that the well established democracies have had their flags for centuries. Moreover, most of the countries that changed their flags after it was taken by force, are now returning to their original flags, like Libya, Tunisia, (the Syrian opposition use the country's original flag) the former eastern bloc countries that became part of the larger communist federations, such as Ukraine and Georgia, and all the former Yugoslav federation nations etc. to name just a few, have all gone back to their original flags. To return the Seychelles 1976 National Flag is one of the most important transitions Seychelles needs to make if it wants to make a first step to uniting the nation.

SEYCHELLES PEOPLE SAY A RESOUNDING NO TO HOTEL AT CAP TERNAY

“Democracy at work”. After all the recriminations that characterised Saturday’s meeting at Port Glaud between the promoters of Emirates’ Cap Ternay resort project and members of the public, this was the only positive way government officials could described the exercise. A meeting overwrought with emotions and tension where members of the public clearly expressed what seemed to be a non-negotiable objection to the project.

To describe the meeting as full of tension and of animosity would be to fall short of all the emotions that were on display on Saturday at the Port Glaud community centre. But the authorities has prepared for such an eventuality – a police officer was on standby in case a riot broke. And back up was ready and waiting at the Port Glaud police station in case things got out of hand.

And getting out of hand, they did. The meeting started with murmurs of disapproval towards the project followed by loud objections whenever a member of the panel spoke. The panel consisted of principal secretary (PS) for the ministry of Environment and Energy, Wills Agricole, the director general (DG) for Wildlife Enforcement and Permit Division at the same ministry, Flavien Joubert, local project managers Dereck Rioux and Shane Kleinschmeit as well as the project team members Dene Murphy, Bill Pujin and Derreck Steinhobel.

Barely five minutes after the meeting started, an elderly man stood up and cried out to Wills Agricole “Mr. Agricole, you are the principal secretary of the ministry of Environment, you are government too, how could you let the Arabs do this to us?”

The frustration went crescendo after questions – albeit hostile ones – put to the panel found no answers. After a presentation by Mr Joubert to help the public better understand why the meeting was part of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process, the public was told that issues put forward during the meeting will be included in a report which will be made accessible to the public for review and comments.

 At this point during the meeting, an inhabitant suggested that the report be uploaded online for comments and Mr. Joubert said that the 2008 version of that project was already posted but that he would make note of the suggestion.

 Mr. Murphy was next on the agenda to present the project to the public but he appeared to only frustrate people further. Many people said they could not understand the purpose of the meeting since it appeared that the project had already been approved. To which Mr. Joubert vaguely explained that his ministry was simply making the project a Class 1 one and that this had for requirement the elaboration of an EIA report.

This, however, was only one of the very few questions that actually got an answer. Faced with allegations that the project has already received approval from the powers that be, ministry officials affirmed that they were not aware whether or not the project had already been placed in the hands of contractors.

 Members of the panel could also not say why or how the dredging of the sea would happen except for “creating a bathing experience for the clients”. They also could not explain why access to the beach was presently restricted in spite of the presentation guaranteeing beach access to the public once the hotel was open. They could not say why they had to “restore strategic areas such as the marshes” even if there was nothing wrong with it in the first place, they could not answer where they will be getting the sand to re-profile the beach, they could not justify the destruction of marine life - with the dredging activity - and finally could not explain why those answers weren’t available.

 Notwithstanding this, Mr Murphy to whom TODAY spoke to after the meeting, told this newspaper that he remains hopeful that the project is one that will materialize and more importantly, said that “there has already been a commitment, an agreement between the Seychelles Government and the Emirates”.

Dene Murphy described the meeting as “a heated one with a lot of emotions”. He said he was “well aware of the objections on social media” leading up to the meeting as well as the hostility towards the project.

“I believe that we have to listen to what everybody has to say. I am only the developer of Emirates and I have been forthcoming with all the information I was in possession of,” he said adding that he could “understand the emotions but that is why we have these public meetings, in fact I won’t take anything negative out of it rather the positive.” He estimated that the project may be developed over a two-year period but would not reveal the actual cost of such an investment for “confidentiality issues”. He nonetheless confirmed that it was a substantial sum of money and the next step for him and the project team would be to complete the scoping exercise. “The real purpose of the meeting is indeed to get public participation, and to take note of what they have to say. From there we will include these in our final assessments to the ministry of environment,” he told this newspaper.

 Hence it is not known if the promoters and the authorities will go on with their plans of destroying private property to make way for the hotel.

 Dr. Nirmal Shah of Nature Seychelles is an inhabitant of the Port Glaud district and his property lies in close proximity to the project. He was particularly concerned that his property was very likely to be used as a “car park” in the eventuality that the beach access through the hotel was used.

 In this regard, Mr. Murphy said that the access road to the hotel needs to allow for easy transportation of building materials and will thus be enlarged by two metres. He also mentioned that there would be some walls that will be demolished to allow for the new enlarged road.

 Mr Murphy however ignored the fact that the enlargement would mean the demolition of some private properties including that of Dr. Shah. For his part, Dr. Shah said that “to come up here and say that you will demolish these walls when they are clearly private properties” was disrespectful to him and other owners.

 There was no reaction to the point made.

The panel unsuccessfully tried to convince people that the project should create jobs for some 400 Seychellois. But some people said it was “clear that these positions would be filled by expatriates”. Mr. Murphy guaranteed nonetheless that the operators would recruit and train as many Seychellois as possible as they have done in their other hotels in the Bahamas for example. Moreover, he said that the Dubai international airport had more passengers going through it than in long-established Heathrow in England. According to him this would be a great advantage to the Seychelles’ tourism industry. The point did not appear to calm people down as the main contention seemed to be the destruction of so many natural habitats.

“Restoration means making something better. What you are doing is called destruction,” one young lady said.

 The meeting adjourned on a very sour note. Kisnan Louise from Port Glaud district told the panel that they needed to come back with another presentation in another meeting since they had not been able to address any of the questions raised by the public. Mr. Joubert said that there would indeed be other opportunities to harvest other opinions. “Make it your responsibility to review today’s discussion and know that your points have indeed been noted,” he said.

 As for PS Agricole, he concluded that “what is important is that we are once again reassured of your commitment towards the environment of Seychelles. You have all raised valid points that the promoters should definitely consider. What we have seen today, this is real democracy at work.”

Source:Today

OFFICIAL ARRESTED IN POSSESSION OF DRUGS IN SEYCHELLES

The police have no prior information about man who was stopped after he bolted upon seeing a police vehicle.

The chief interpreter of the judiciary, Danny Michel was arrested on Thursday afternoon at La Promenade in the English River district, the police have confirmed. The man has been closely involved in the Charita case.

Mr Michel was in possession of an undisclosed amount of cannabis at the time of his apprehension. The arrest happened by happenstance when the police was conducting a random patrol in the area. They saw a man run the minute he saw the police. He also threw the bag he was carrying as he ran – behaviour that indicated to the police that something untoward was going on.

The police secured the bag and gave chase to the man. The bag contained an undisclosed amount of cannabis and the man was later identified as the judiciary’s chief interpreter, Danny Michel, 48, a resident of Port Glaud.

Unconfirmed sources say that it is suspected that the drug comes from the Charita case in which Mr Michel is responsible for producing drugs seized in the case as exhibits in court. Juliana Esticot, the Registrar, chose not comment on these allegations nor on the fact that a court official has been arrested. Mr Michel appeared before Magistrate Samia Govinden yesterday morning and was remanded to custody until December 2. He has not been formally charged yet.

Mrs Esticot told this newspaper however that she would not be making any comments on this latest development unless she has the “management’s green light”. Acting Chief Justice Karunakaran’s office would also not comment, referring this newspaper back to the Registrar.

Police spokesperson Jean Toussaint told this newspaper he not confirm whether the drugs actually came from Charita, saying that unless the court officially reported that drugs were missing from the Charita stock, the police could not make this assumption.

Court sources have told this newspaper that some of the drugs have indeed gone missing. If confirmed, it is not certain what effect this will have on the Charita case.

Source:Today

HOW JUSTICE WORKS IN SEYCHELLES

The brothers say they don’t understand why the police officer who killed their father has been released on bail while the man who killed a police officer has been accused of murder.

The irony is poignant. On October 30, Emanuel Malvina, 56, lost his life in a road accident as a police vehicle trying to overtake another car hit him head on. The driver, a police officer, was arrested but later released on bail. The police still have not confirmed the charge against the officer who hasn’t been identified.

On July 26, Constable Jules was fatally hit by a car while he was on duty. The young driver has been charged with murder – a very unusual charge for a road accident – and is still being held at Montagne Posee.

The children are still mourning their father and say they are at a loss to understand the way the police have treated this tragedy.

Ian Rose and Pascal Malvina both confirmed to this newspaper that they have not once heard from the police since their father’s death. “The last time we spoke to a police officer was when they handed over our father’s body to us for burial”, they say.

The brothers state  that a relative of the police officer involved in the accident, had approached them to ask them to consider removing the case, by speaking to an official at the Attorney General’s office.

“We don’t understand why he was released. Yet, the boy who killed the police officer in July is still being held at Montagne Posee prison. We hope the police officer will get the maximum penalty. All we want is justice especially since it was a policeman who didn’t respect the Highway Code and ultimately killed our father”, the brothers told this newspaper.

“The accident happened where there was an unbroken line on the road – a sign that says clearly that there should be no overtaking. Why is the police the only institution that gets away with not respecting the law?”, they ask.

The boys are even more aggrieved because they know that their father was generally very prudent on the road. “If you went to Takamaka on foot, you might’ve reached there before him!”, they say of their father.

Ian Rose also tells  that the driver who killed his father is well known to him. “He is about 74 years-old and he lives at La Misere and used to be an officer with the National Guard Unit. I cannot understand why a person his age would drive a police vehicle when I once approached this department for a part-time job and they said they didn’t employ part-time personnel”.

Source:Today

FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS ABUSE IN SEYCHELLES?

Alleged beating of Somali prisoner by officer

According to reports, a gurkha officer assaulted an 18 year-old Somali at Montagne Posée. The authorities have been mute on the subject despite attempts to obtain their reaction.

A Somali pirate imprisoned at Montagne Posée, going by the name Abid–Assen, was reportedly assaulted on Monday by a gurkha officer. The prisoner is believed to be around 18 years of age. Very little information is available about the incident so far. The prison authorities as well as the ministry of Home Affairs have refused to comment on the allegations.

Lawyer Nichol Gabriel is currently involve in the case and has written to the prison authorities to ask for a report of the incident. Mr Gabriel had not heard anything from the authorities.

Abid-Assen was admitted to the Seychelles hospital for one night after the assault on Monday. Unconfirmed sources say the man was vomiting blood before his transfer to the hospital.

According to witnesses, a gurkha officer going by the name of Harry, slapped the young man after which he reportedly passed out. After this, the officer allegedly kicked the unconscious prisoner.

It is as yet unclear why this particular prisoner was singled out.

This incident came to the attention of lawyer Nichol Gabriel who wrote a letter to the prison authorities, requesting the medical report of his client as well as a report from the prison authorities on the incident. Gabriel had not received any report from either the ministry of health or the prison authorities.

Mr Gabriel stated that what happened was “really unfair” and a direct consequence of the prison authorities’ failure to protect inmates. The lawyer further said that he intends to sue the prison authorities to prove the officer in question was at fault.

Contacted, Prison Superintendant Maxime Tirant has refused to comment on the incident. The liason officer for prisons at the ministry of Home Affairs also declined to comment.

Seychelles is among 21 countries worldwide that detain Somali pirates through an agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). According to an official document from the UNODC, the prisoners are supposed to follow a rehabilitation programme to prevent future crime at the Montagne Posée prison.

Source: Today

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE? TWO BROTHERS ACCUSE POLICE OF BRUTALITY IN SEYCHELLES

Ian and Mike Melle say that they were aggressed by law enforcement officers in Roche Caiman on Friday night. The police however affirm that their injuries were self inflicted.

There are always two sides to every story. This saying is particularly appropriate when it comes to the altercation involving Ian and Mike Melle and the police last Friday night near Fresh Cut at Roche Caiman. The two brothers accuse the latter of having brutalised and sprayed them with tear gas for no reason before imprisoning them for the night. The authorities, on the other hand, affirm that the siblings were fighting when they were “spotted by police on patrol who intervened to arrest them”. In addition, police spokesperson, Jean Toussaint, told this newspaper that, “no official brutality or assault reports have been formally registered to the police by any of the two men”. For their mother, Eunice, however, it’s a case of the police abusing their authority.

As Ian, a 26 year-old cook from Roche Caiman, recounts the story, his brother and him were simply walking to the shops when the trouble started. According to him, the events unfolded between 9.30pm and 10.00pm when the siblings were intercepted by a red Terios. “The officers asked us what we were doing and wanted to handcuff us”, alleges Ian Melle. And when they resisted, they copped a face full of tear gas, he avers. Despite this, he continued to struggle against the officers who wanted to bundle him aboard the Terios. After having cuffed one of his hands, the police then proceeded to push him to the ground before “hitting me on my back and arms”, he says, displaying numerous bruises and scratches on his neck, arms and back to drive his point home, Eunice Melle avers that her other son, Mike, was hit in the face.

The police however affirm that, “during the process, Ian assaulted a constable in the face and damaged his glasses”. The marks on their bodies were inflicted during the altercation between the two brothers, Mr Toussaint states: “The police reported that as a result of the fight between Ian and Mike, a cut was observed on Mike’s lips while Ian had scratches on his neck. They were both under either the influence of alcohol or drugs”. A second patrol car came to assist the first one and the brothers were transported to Mont Fleuri police station (Mike was later taken to Central). Ian even alleges that he was sprayed again with tear gas in his cell later that night. The brothers were released the next morning after having been charged with “affray, damaging property and assault on police officer”.

Ian admits that Mike and himself had perhaps been speaking loudly, as brothers are wont to do, and had had a drink or two, but is adamant that the reaction of the authorities was completely unwarranted. He has been “depressed” since the incident. “All this because two kids were talking”, she states. For his part, Mr Toussaint reiterates that the police have an “Internal Affairs Bureau to investigate public complaints against members of the force”.

Source: Today

THE SEYCHELLES NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS A TOTAL JOKE

The national human rights commission (NHRC) has taken a whole year to respond to a simple letter of complaint on human rights violation and illegal arrest. This shows the incompetency of the chairperson of the NHRC who earns over SCR70,000 a month. Her actions are highly detrimental to the promotion of respect for human rights in Seychelles.

On top of that the letter was dated 12th September; left the Office on the 24th October, received by the post office on the same date and delivered that very same day. From the moment the letter was typed on 12/9, it took the NHRC six weeks to have it posted on 24/10; an impressive record of inefficiency. If only the lawyers would be as efficient as the postmen. They are also unaware that for over a year The New Democratic has changed its name; although the two offices are practically next door. Thorough investigation!

The letter from the chairperson could easily be construed as a national joke. It devalues Seychelles society and it is a travesty to our nascent democracy. How does Dora Zatte get away with that kind of mediocrity?

The lady, a lawyer herself, makes a mockery of the interpretations of the law by stating that she is of the “opinion that the police were acting within the remit of their powers, more specifically that of arresting and detaining members of the public in the prevention of the commission of an offence” What total gibberish especially remembering the fact that the illegally arrested were in fact invited to the police station.

The people, who sat on the wall by the clock tower with banners around their necks reading “Annou repran nou pei” on the 30^th September were exercising their constitutional rights-plain and simple. They had not broken any law and should not have been interfered with by the police. NO CRIME WAS COMMITTED.

The complainants were never approached for their version of events by the NHRC and yet they stated that it was a lengthy investigation; who did they speak to?

The stance as taken by the NHRC on this particular incident gives rise to the belief that Seychelles in 2014 is still being run by some like the days of the one party era.

SEYCHELLES MINISTERS IN BREACH OF PENAL CODE REGARDING CORRUPTION AT EDEN BLEU OVERNIGHT STAY?

Six scrounging cabinet ministers are being accused of cheapening their ministerial offices after it emerged that they had accepted an all expenses overnight stay at the Eden Bleu Hotel on Eden Island.

The ministers in question and some family members spent one night as guest of the hotel management on the opening night of the islands first business hotel.

Gossip about their overnight stay surfaced on social media after some relatives posted pictures of themselves in the hotel rooms and boasted about it.

Seychelles Ministers with Angolan General

It can be confirmed that other than the rooms offered to them personally, at least two of the ministers asked for extra rooms for their relatives, with one minister requesting three rooms!

The scroungers have been criticized for breaching Section 91 of the Penal code which covers official corruption which prohibits anyone employed in the public service to corruptly receive such favours.

Anyone found guilty of this felony is liable to imprisonment for seven years.

The public reaction found the ministers` action as an embarrassment to the government and to the country because it creates the impression that they can be easily bought.

“To me if those high officials had their country and people at heart they would have gone to the opening and then gone home. This would have made a point that they cannot be bought and that they are worth more than a night in a hotel” said a comment on social media.

It is not the first time that ministers have been embroiled in such scandals leading to critics labeling them as “scroungers”.

The only two cabinet members who did not accept the offer were Vice President Danny Faure and Minister of Tourism, Alain St Ange. Minister Pierre Laporte and his colleague Peter Sinon were not present at the opening of Saturday 18^th October.

Source: Le Seychellois