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Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission hearings |17 October 2019

More new faces voice their complaints, testify

 

Former high ranking army officer Brigadier Leopold Payet was not present for the morning session of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission yesterday as a witness in relation to issues that happened at the Grand Police army camp and prison.

The commission announced later that Mr Payet had informed them that he had forgotten about yesterday’s session. He will now appear during the November 4, 2019 sitting.

The first person to appear before the commission yesterday morning was Roger Teeroomooljee, an ex-people’s militia member, who spoke about what he knew of the militia.

Mr Teeroomooljee said he was very disappointed with the testimony given by Lina Bonnelame before the commission on the role of the militia and on her not being a spy for the government then, which to him were blatant lies.

Mr Teeroomooljee, who joined the militia in the 1990s, said Ms Bonnelame, who was also a member of the militia, was really a spy and was based at State House together with Dobin Samson who was the head of state security. He noted though that he never saw Ms Bonnelame holding an AK-47, but she carried a revolver on a 24-hour basis.

Mr Teeroomooljee explained that contrary to what Ms Bonnelame said that the militias only carried empty guns and didn’t spy on people or beat them up, the militias were heavily armed and that they did spy on people and also beat them up. He said the militia, which was under the command of the army, was used to intimidate people and the guns loaded with bullets were accountably distributed at the army headquarters at Bel Eau.

He said that the late President France Albert Rene really loved the militia as it was “his eyes, ears and arms”. He noted that apart from spying and beating up people, the militia was used to guard government properties and private residents of several individuals including high ranking government officials. He said that in the days of the militia, people were more afraid of them than the police as they had to run upon seeing them arrive on scene.

Mr Teeroomooljee also said that he joined the militia on the grounds of safeguarding the country and the revolution and added that he thought it was right at that time but in retrospect, he regretted to have been involved.

He further explained that following some structural changes in government, the militia was disbanded and was turned into the national guards. The national guards, he said, were still under the army and their duty was to guard government properties and private homes and also perform as military escorts.

During the session, Mr Teeroomooljee praised Dr V. Ramadoss for helping him out when he was being victimised by government, a case to be heard by the commission in November.

 

Case 0058

 

Marina Pool, a complainant in case 0058, was at the hearing to complain of victimisation and the acquisition of her property by former President Albert Rene and his regime because the family did not support him.

Mrs Pool claimed that apart from being intimidated from the day of the coup up to recently, her worst scenarios is an illegal acquisition of a part of her property in Baie Lazare by government which was subdivided illegally to build three motorable roads and which was done without her consent.

She explained that she had been seeking compensation from government for the acquisition of her property she bought in 1945 but nothing has materialised up to now. She further noted that she had brought the case to the attention of the Ombudsman earlier this year.

Mrs Pool told the commission she was seeking some clarification from government. This includes what the actions had caused her and her family with great injustice which had culminated with great mental torture over the years. She asked to be compensated fully for all the land taken from her, also taking into consideration of all the damages done to her property, among others.

The commission will hear the evidence in her case today from the special advisor in the then Ministry of Habitat, Lands, Infrastructure and Land Transport, Patrick Lablache who will be accompanied by another official with information on the case. The commission noted that it will also study her case filed with the Ombudsman.

 

Case 0059

 

Taxi driver Jerrick Ernesta in case 0059 complained that he was politically victimised during the one party state where his taxi license was revoked in August 1982 and was informed the action taken was for national security reasons. He noted that he presumes he was being victimised because he was a critic and had a different opinion of the system that was in power.

Mr Ernesta added that he was constantly victimised and his movements were monitored as he was constantly followed by state agents. He also said that at one time he was physically assaulted and noted that following the revoke of his license, he was also refused employment in other jobs in government. He was also refused planning permission to build a guest house on La Digue.

Mr Ernesta said that for fear of being arrested and losing his life, he went into exile in Canada in August 1987 but returned to Seychelles in September 1988 after getting the green light from one of his relatives, Frank Marie, the personal bodyguard of President France Albert Rene.

Mr Ernesta wants the perpetrators to come forward and apologise to him before he can really forgive them for what they have done to him.

In relation to case 0059, Phillip Revera was called by the commission as the person who was named earlier by Jerrick Ernesta as the person in charge of the Seychelles Licensing Authority in 1982 when his taxi license was revoked for the security of the country.

As a witness, Mr Revera said that the decision to issue and to revoke a license in his time when he was in charge came from the then chairman of the Seychelles Licensing Authority, Ogilvy Berlouis who said that the President of the Republic France Albert Rene had said so. He noted there was no way of proving if the decisions really came from the president or not.

Mr Revera said nobody could question any decision taken at that time and the order had to be executed. He explained that most people who were against or alleged to be against the government at that time endured such harsh decisions. He further said that people who had bad references but were supporters of the government were given their applied licenses.

Mr Revera started working with the Seychelles Licensing Authority in 1978.

In reference to case 0059 again, former President France Albert Rene’s personal bodyguard, Frank Marie was the last person before the commission yesterday afternoon as his name was also mentioned by Jerrick Ernesta as the person who gave him the green light to return to Seychelles from exile in Canada.

Mr Marie explained that Mr Ernesta as a member of the family did call him from Canada to see if he could enter the country as he was afraid he would be arrested or lose his life. He said that he told him he could do so and nothing was going to happen to him.

Asked by the commission as to how he knew that Mr Ernesta could enter the country and if he had to consult President Rene on the matter, Mr Marie replied that he didn’t have to consult Mr Rene as the situation in the country had changed and people were not being arrested.

Meanwhile, Case 004-Guy Ogilvy Tirant as a witness was held behind closed doors.

 

 

 

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