Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission – Hearing number 191 Complainant and witness Gaetan René assaulted after appearing before TRNUC |06 August 2021
Mr Rene
Following his appearance before the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission last week where he talked about a number of financial irregularities in relation to the police and army, precisely individuals who have gained properties through those irregularities, witness Gaetan René said he was assaulted by an unidentified person on Saturday July 31, 2021.
During yesterday’s session (hearing 191) Mr René said on that particular day, he was confronted by a man and fell to the ground after collecting a pizza at Gran Kaz in Victoria.
He noted that while pushing him, the assailant warned him that he should stop mentioning the name of Andre Ciseau.
After receiving assistance from some passers-by, he contacted a friend who advised him to go to the police station and make a formal complaint.
He went to the Mont Fleuri police station where he wrote a formal statement and also provided a medical certificate.
The incident is now a police matter under investigation.
Commenting on the incident, chairperson of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) Gabrielle Louise McIntyre said the commission is appalled by what happened to Mr René and expects the police to look very closely into the matter and to identify the person who attacked him and take appropriate action.
Mr René, an ex-police officer, appeared before the TRNUC last week during hearing 187 as a complainant, giving his recollection of an incident which happened on Friday March 13, 1998 at the inter-island quay.
The incident involved senior officers of the police force who were accused of cutting off the private part (penis) of Willis Francourt.
Mr René said despite the incident, he is determined and even stronger to assist the commission with its work.
Regarding his own case, Mr René said while investigating the incident, Antoine Belmont who was the officer commanding (OC) of the criminal investigation unit (CID), arrested Rollen Adrienne and took him to State Law where he, along with Lucy Pool tried to convince Mr Adrienne to change his statement to directly point the blame towards the accused, but he refused.
He explained that during the trial, two brothers (Labrosse) came in as witnesses for the prosecution and after giving their evidence, they headed straight to the Ste Claire building where the sister of Willis Francourt who had a hairdressing salon there gave them an envelope containing money, allegedly given by the late Commissioner of Police Andre Quilindo.
Mr René said that after the second day of giving evidence, the duo again went to collect their envelope, but this time, the lady told them that she did not have money and that it was not her who asked them to go to court.
He added that on the day of the incident, he does remember seeing the brothers in the area.
He, however, noted that one of the brothers was murdered by the late Dave Benoiton (better-known as ‘white man’) under orders after he insisted on getting the remaining of his money promised for being a false witness in court.
Mr René explained that one day while in prison a guy called Jimmy called him and said to him that they were being incarcerated for nothing.
The guy told him that the police went to get evidence from François Payet who owned a schooner which was in the vicinity of the incident on that day.
According to Mr René, in his evidence, Mr Payet told the police that Willis Francourt did come onboard the boat on that night, asking to borrow a knife to clean some fish.
Being drunk, he got into an argument with one of the crew members who punched him, before finally lending him the knife.
On another occasion, another prisoner nicknamed ‘Zean Krab’ told him that he had found small notebooks with photos of Mr René and others in them, at the back of the island.
He then found out that the so-called notebooks were their passports which were supposed to be in the possession of the Court Registrar (the late Collin Jean-Louis).
Mr René said he suspected that the passports were among stolen materials from the court which was burglarised by inmates from the ‘B Block’, or high security block of the prison.
He said it was common practice then for them to be released and sent to rob places and come back.
It is to note that at the time, the prison was under the responsibility of Raymond Bonté.
On one occasion, the released convicts were late to return and were seen coming in by everyone at the prison, including people on neighbouring Ile aux Cerfs who called the police.
Mr René said following the mishap, troops were called from Mahe to ransack the block and that a pair of shoes belonging the ex-Minister for Finance, Trade and Economic Planning, Dr Peter Larose was found under the bed of one of the convicts.
The strange thing about that is that not a single case has been brought before the court, despite the solid evidence.
Mr René also gave some useful evidence regarding several incidents which were noted down for further investigation by the TRNUC, including clues on the death of Berard Jeannie on the day of the 1977 coup d’Etat.
He also talked about the plot by the majors for a counter coup against the former regime.
Mr René also talked about an incident when Mr Quilindo asked him to tell Mr Benoiton to contact him if ever he sees him.
He said he saw Mr Benoiton at a shop at English River and asked him to contact Mr Quilindo.
A few days later, he learned that drugs were found at the shop of Michel Ho-Sap at Plaisance and definitely knew that it was Mr Quilindo who ordered ‘white man’ to plant the drugs there, since the latter was an opposition activist.
He also talked about the circumstances of the death of Mr Benoiton who was gunned down, allegedly by state security officers.
Mr René said he had the chance to see some photos of the body and it was clear that he was executed.
He added that Mr Belmont offered the family R75,000 as compensation, saying the incident was a misunderstanding.
As for Mr Benoiton, Mr René said he was executed because he was asking for his payment for the alleged dirty works that he had carried out for the government.
Another interesting topic which surfaced yesterday was regarding high-ranking army police officers’ and other individuals’ ill-gotten assets.
Case 0207 – Aruna Couchene
The second person before the TRNUC yesterday was Aruna Couchene who was seeking the truth in the death of her father Claude Monnaie who died after being set alight after a cocktail Molotov was thrown at his cousin’s truck in which he worked.
The incident is also the backbone of the case Sidna Umbricht born Monnaie (Claude’s sister), heard last year by the commission.
Complainant Walter Constance (owner of the burnt truck) also talked about the incident which happened on Praslin when he appeared before the commission in case 0441 last month.
Mr Constance explained that the death of Mr Monnaie was mysterious since the latter was convalescing quite well and was interacting with him the last time he saw him, only to find out that he died a few hours after leaving him to head back to Praslin.
Before the TRNUC yesterday, Ms Couchene said she needs to hear a confession from the perpetrator, along with an apology and compensation.
She, however, noted that even if it will be difficult to forgive, she needs the truth through a confession to the whole family, along with a sign of remorse.
As an individual, Ms Couchene said she is ready to forgive, given that the conditions are met, but however admitted that she cannot speak on behalf of her siblings.
Commissioner Bishop James Wong offered his help in preparing the family for the process of forgiveness as a group, through spiritual and mental training.
Case 0263 – Michel and Josette Ho-Sap
Exiled couple Michel and Josette Ho-Sap born Pon-Waye who returned to Seychelles in 1993 following the return of multi-party democracy were third before the TRNUC yesterday, filing a complaint regarding their land at Plaisance.
Leading to the 2011 national elections, the government in power demolished an existing house on the property, building a new one without the permission of the owner, nor any acquisition process.
Speaking on behalf of his wife, Mr Ho-Sap explained that previously people in the area were firm SPPF supporters and after he started campaigning for the opposition, a majority of them switched allegiance.
Being a child of the area and also known to be a kind-hearted person, Mr Ho-Sap said it was not a difficult task for him to convince people, leading to the sudden turning point in support.
He said the action by the regime was a drastic measure to regain the support of the people in the area.
Mr Ho-Sap continued his testimony with the story of his father-in-law Richard Pon-Waye who was a fervent supporter of the Democratic Party and was arrested on several occasions, before going into exile in England on November 29, 1985.
Also in exile in England, Mr Ho-Sap joined the Mouvement Pour La Resistance (MPR) and got acquainted to Gerard Hoareau and from then on could not return to Seychelles, not even for the funeral of his mother.
He however made a promise to Mr Hoareau that he will never accept the British passport, but will always remain a Seychellois and keep on fighting for freedom and democracy.
A fight which he said kept going until October 24 last year when the table was turned.
Mr Ho-Sap also talked about an incident which happened on October 6, 1998 at his home at La Retraite, where he was assaulted by knife-wielding assailants and sustained severe injuries which required 100 stitches.
He said no police investigations took place, other than a police officer who came to his hospital bed for a small statement, without any follow-up.
Following two surgeries locally, he had to go to Singapore for further medical treatment since the condition of his arm was deteriorating.
Regarding the incident, Mr Ho-Sap said since his return to Seychelles, he was occupying a small shop belonging to his father and every night after closing the shop, he drove home accompanied by his wife and daughter.
Upon reaching his home at around 8pm, he saw someone armed with a machete and at the same time he heard his wife screaming.
Mr Ho-Sap said he instantly jumped on the masked assailant and it was during the tussle that he sustained the injuries.
He recognised one of them as the late Dave Benoiton who was waiting in the boat for his two other accomplices.
Based on the fact that he was not carrying any cash, or was not making a lot of money at that time, the real motive behind the attack was assassination, rather than robbery.
Mr Benoiton was then arrested by the police, but was later released, before being gunned down a few days later.
According to Mr Ho-Sap, the death of Mr Benoiton was directly linked to the failed attempt on him and his family, and his execution was a way of silencing him.
Another incident happened in 2001 when drugs were planted on Mr Ho-Sap’s compound at Plaisance.
He said he was humiliated as he was carried at the back of a truck with armed police officers and locked up at the Central Police Station.
After detaining him for one night, and playing failed mind games with him, he was released without any charge.
Mr Ho-Sap said his release time matched perfectly with an opposition meeting scheduled to take place on the same day and that if he was still being detained, the issue would have highlighted the meeting and put pressure on the system.
He added that Father Gerard also spoke on the subject in his sermon on that particular day at the Ste Therese Church.
Against drugs trafficking all his life, Mr Ho-Sap said all the situations he went through made him stronger and more firm in his beliefs.
He explained that at that time, when you chose to stand against the government, such situations, along with other forms of victimisations were expected.
Mr Ho-Sap said in 2004, his shop hosted the small office of the Seychelles National Party (SNP), while in 2010 it was the place where billboard and posters were made for the election campaign.
Regarding the aim of the TRNUC, Mr Ho-Sap said he is not after financial compensation, but would however like to have his property back so that he can be part of the re-development programme of the new government.
Roland Duval
