Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) – Hearing Number 193 |07 September 2021
Mr Ciseau (photo left) and Mr Lebon
Army mistreatment surfaces again as commission resumes public hearings
The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) yesterday resumed its public hearings and once again, the mistreatment of soldiers by the military administration during the one party era surfaced.
Ex-soldier Jemmy Lebon was the first person to appear before the commission as the complainant in case 0350 filed by himself about his mistreatment during his days in the military.
Mr Lebon said he was court-martialled for six and a half months, charged with being absent without leave (AWOL) after being late by about three hours on the day he was to return to the Union Vale Camp (UVC) barracks from leave.
A court martial is a legal proceeding for military members that is similar to a civilian court trial, while it is usually reserved for serious criminal offences like felonies.
For less serious criminal offences or breaches of military decorum and regulations, a Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP) is usually held.
Mr Lebon said while serving his prison time which involved mainly hard labour (known as fatigue in the military terms), he was constantly humiliated, endured unnecessary tortures, including beatings and lock-ups.
He explained that on one particular occasion, he suffered from high fever due to his poor sleeping condition and instead of taking him for medical assistance, he was taken to the Ile Longue Prison where he was treated as a normal prisoner.
A situation which was a breach of his military contract since Ile Longue was a civilian prison.
Mr Lebon said while he was in prison, the army mutiny took place in the early hours of August 17, 1982 at the UVC and shockingly he was considered as one of the rebels, even if he was serving time away from Mahé at that time.
Going back to his initial harassment, Mr Lebon explained that his photograph appeared in the newspaper on the day of the students’ strike against the introduction of the National Youth Service (NYS).
He said he was just a passerby on the way to lunch at his aunt’s place at Lodge Street when he ran into the demonstration and randomly had his photo taken.
Mr Lebon said he was informed by a colleague that he was being watched due to his supposed involvement in the strike.
While in prison, his mother who was supposed to receive his monthly salary as legal beneficiary was refused by the army headquarters.
He was also told that the key to the locker that held his file was not available.
Mr Lebon’s cases have also been heard by the Anti-victimisation committee of the National Assembly.
In the afternoon, ex-army officer André Ciseau was before the commission as a witness to respond to Case 0171 – Selwyn Knowles and Case 0358 – Gaetan Rene. Mr Knowles was assaulted by the army in 1985 after a night out with his girl friend at Beau Vallon – Takamaka Two discotheque. He had complained that they had gone out of the club for some fresh air when somebody, in a white minibus (S 291) that drove past him, hit him in the face.
Mr Knowles had further complained that upon following the van in his car and approaching the vehicle from the driver’s side, he was surprised to see army officer André Ciseau behind the wheel. He said six soldiers got out of the van and unleashed a heavy beating onto him and he was lucky to be saved by the light of a passing vehicle. He had also stated that Mr Ciseau did not take part in the beating but presumably gave the order.
Appearing by Skype, Mr Ciseau said he regretted what happened to Mr Knowles. He further said nobody ordered for him to be beaten up as he (Knowles) brought the beating upon himself through his actions. He stated that on that night they were on a routine patrol and there were a lot of people standing outside the discotheque and on the opposite side of the road. He added that Mr Knowles was in fact standing in the middle of the road and not on the steps of the discotheque as he had stated. He said that upon calling on Mr Knowles to move out of the way for the van to pass, he (Knowles) had sworn at them before moving. He added that it was at that instant that a soldier, in the back of the vehicle, swung a tamarind stick from the vehicle that caught him on the side of his neck.
Mr Ciseau, who was the patrol leader, explained that upon leaving the scene, they came across a car that overtook them at Mare Anglaise and further meeting up with it, parked in the middle of the road, next to Northolme Hilton Hotel. He added that he instructed a soldier to see what was going on and to get the driver to remove it. He added that when the soldier approached the car from behind, Mr Knowles got out and tried to snatch the soldier’s gun. He further said the soldier managed to prevent Mr Knowles from snatching away his gun and it was at that instant also that the other soldiers got out and beat him up. He noted that he never knew who the driver of the car that overtook them was, until he saw Mr Knowles getting out of the car to snatch the gun. He noted that there was enough light in front of the discotheque for Mr Knowles to have noticed that it was soldiers who were in van.
He said nobody ordered the soldiers to beat up Mr Knowles as it was just common sense among soldiers to react in the way they did to help one of their colleague soldier. He added that a lot of people, especially the youths, were involved in anti-social behaviours at night and the instruction at that time was to use sticks to curb those anti-social incidents.
Case 0358 – Gaetan Rene
During his appearance before the commission as a general witness, following his recent first appearance where he had complained that he was falsely accused along with some other police officers, of cutting off the private part (penis) of Willis Francourt, Mr Rene had mentioned that Mr Ciseau was constantly sitting in Victoria to stare at the Barclays Bank Seychelles and lost in mind, as if he was or had been involved in something to do with the bank. It was in relation with the bank’s manager who died mysteriously to which he had claimed that his (manager) death is linked to somebody who had been trained in Russia.
Mr Ciseau said that he does not know the motives of Mr Rene to bring up such an allegation as he does not suffer from alzheimer or dementia. He said that apart from training in Russia, he also attended training in many other countries and he wonders why he (Rene) never mentioned that to the commission. He added that there were many other soldiers who were trained in Russia and if he was involved in a murder why is it he had not been apprehended for such a serious offence. He stated that if Mr Rene believes he wrongly acquired his properties, he should take him to the anti-corruption commission. He added that he is seeking legal advice to address the matter.
Mrs Gabriel Mclntyre then informed him that through the TRNUC act, anything said before the commission is inadmissible in court proceedings. He noted that this is maybe the reason why so many people talk lies on other people before the commission.
Regarding the 1982 army mutiny, Mr Ciseau, who was an army officer at the Union Vale Army camp, said as he was not part of the group, he was arrested by the mutineers and put in jail. He further said that he, along with some other army officers, managed to escape and spent two days outside and returned to the camp after the counter attack. He stated that he joined in the operation to pick up the mutineers among whom some were brought to the Bel Eau head quarters, the Union Vale army camp and the Central Police Station. He said he did recall, in his time at the Union Vale Army camp, of abuses by army officials on soldiers but not to the extent of beating them tied up as had been claimed.
Mr Ciseau said the rebellion took place because of the inability of those high in command to lead and develop the force. He added that there was a lack of communication which took time to reach those at the top and this situation frustrated the juniors.
He said he was aware of the internal planning of a coup d’etat, by high ranking army officers, that was about to take place on September 4, 1986, to overthrow President Albert Rene, as he was the duty officer at the Bel Eau head quarters. But he got the information that day to raise the alert. He said that soldiers were deployed to counter the situation to which the President came back safe and sound. The plot was foiled following the desertion by one army officer.
Speaking on behalf of soldier George Malbrook, who was released from the army, Mr Ciseau said he was a good and competent soldier who he (Ciseau) recommended for his contract to be renewed but he was instructed from the Defence Headquarters to relieve him from his duties at the Seychelles Coast Guard for reasons unknown to him. The soldier had stated that he was relieved of his duties for political reason.
Roland Duval and Patrick Joubert