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TRNUC hears complaint of unpaid commission money |16 July 2021

TRNUC hears complaint of unpaid commission money

Mr Nancy

Complainant Andre Nancy was the only person to appear in an open session before the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission yesterday.

Apart from Mr Nancy’s case, the commission heard two other complainants and one witness.

 

Case 0376 - Andre Nancy

In setting out his complaint, mason Andre Nancy said he did some work on Assomption Island for the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF) through the Seychelles Coast Guard in the 1980s. Although he was paid a salary, he did not get a commission that was promised.

Mr Nancy also said he did some construction work while on remand at the Montagne Posée Prison in 2014 and he was promised some money for the work as well as the possibility of early release from jail following his conviction. But again all these promises were not kept.

With regards to work done on Assomption Island, he said that he along with some civilians and SPDF soldiers, were asked to take part in construction work on the airstrip which was to be used as a transit route to Aldabra. They were promised a commission to encourage them to work hard and help to complete the project quickly.

He added that once the project was completed after 20 months, he did not receive any commission. He further added that the promised payment was confirmed to them by late President France Albert René on one of his visits to the island.

Mr Nancy noted that he later learned that the island manager, some civilians, some army personnel, were paid their commission money while he did not receive a cent.

“I wrote many times to State House with regards to my commission but I did not receive an answer although my salary was at that time being paid by State House,” Mr Nancy said.

Mr Nancy, who did not have a work contract with the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) which employed him, said he also carried out other construction work for the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces on other islands. He stated that he was not given his commission because of his political belief which was not in favour of the state. He added that although he had no work contract, other persons who worked with him on Assomption Island would be able to prove his presence on the island.

In relation to the construction work he did at the prison, Mr Nancy said it was the prison superintendent who promised he would be paid a commission after he led a team to work on the construction of a one-storey building inside the prison. He added that he organised, led the team and did the work but never received the promised commission.

He said he spent 591 days on remand during which he was used for many other construction work at the prison among which featured the high security unit and a housing unit for the Nepalese wardens, among others. He stated that he was sentenced to five years in prison on August 10, 2016 for a drug offence and was released on August 30, 2017.

The chairman of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) Gabrielle McIntyre explained to him that from information gathered, the prison superintendent at the time, Vick Tirant, did write to the financial controller on October 6, 2017 requesting that he (Mr Nancy) be paid R30,000 as he had been actively involved in the many construction projects, saving the prison millions of rupees.

She further explained that the superintendent had stated that it was in the spirit of fairness that he had asked for him to be paid as other prisoners who were on other prison work programmes, were being paid for work done outside the prison.

Upon hearing the information, Mr Nancy acknowledged to the commission that he did receive the money but he believes it was not enough as other prisoners doing minor jobs earned more than him. The TRNUC informed Mr Nancy that his case will be investigated.

 

Patrick Joubert

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