TRNUC seeks to help breach divisions caused by any violations |06 November 2021
The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission yesterday took the opportunity to remind the general public of its mandate during the only open session.
Its chairperson Gabrielle McIntyre noted that the commission believed it prudent to reiterate its roles and mandate vis-à-vis the process of truth, reconciliation and national unity.
Mrs McIntryre said that considering the commission as superficially effective for short-term gains is harmful to the commission’s mandated objective of reconciliation of the Seychelles people and fundamentally inconsistent with obligations of the leadership of the society to embrace and lead that process.
To date, the commission has heard from over 1,000 witnesses and reviewed countless documents and files and has already established numerous contextual elements, based on the preponderance of evidence.
She highlighted that the commission is a complaint-driven process, mandated to receive complaints of allegations and human rights violations related to the coup d’Etat of 1977.
“It is to investigate those complaints, determine the truth of allegations made and create an objective, public record of those violations. Through determination of complaints, the commission seeks to help breach divisions caused by any violations, determine the appropriate reparations for victims, the appropriate rehabilitation for victims and perpetrators, and whether or not to grant amnesty to persons the commission determines responsible for human rights violation,” stated Mrs McIntyre.
“Ultimately, through its work, the commission’s objective is to unite the people of Seychelles around a common agenda that would help them move forward in confidence and with a sense of common purpose, and ensure that such violations do not recur. As the commission has previously emphasised, primarily its concerns and its focus is to determine the truth of allegations of human rights violations brought by complainants but it must be understood that those violations did not occur in a vacuum. They occurred in a context and the commission needs to understand that context if it is to achieve its objective of ensuring that such violations do not recur.”
“These findings will invariably inform the commission’s consideration of other complaints falling within the same pattern of evidence. Notably, this approach does not impugn the impartiality of the commission; rather it is part and parcel of its truth finding objective,” she added.
Case 0390
The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) held only one open session yesterday which saw Paul Belle appearing as witness in Case 0390 for Elisabeth Bastienne in regards to the death of her father, Gilbert Bastienne.
Mr Bastienne’s death occurred on May 1,1991 following an altercation at the La Digue Lodge hotel.
Mr Belle was with Mr Bastienne at the hotel on the night that he was killed and, according to Ms Bastienne ‒ the complainant, Mr Belle had left Mr Bastienne for a few moments and found the latter on the floor when he came back, surrounded by people.
It is claimed that although a certain Mr Pierre was convicted of the crime, the circumstances were suspicious and the complainant believes that there was a deliberate intention to harm Gilbert Bastienne.
The complainant claimed that the tyres of Mr Bastienne’s car had been slashed prior to his death.
She further claimed that her father, Mr Bastienne, had been sent to La Digue by Albert Rene to investigate some discrepancies in the accounts.
Mr Belle clarified that the incident did not occur at La Digue Lodge but it occurred after coming from the La Digue Lodge hotel.
“Mr Bastienne worked at L’Union Estate and I went to vacation at his place since he was my brother in law, he was married to my sister. We went for dinner at La Digue Lodge with Mr Payet,” Mr Belle explained.
During the evening of the incident, on their way back from dinner, Mr Bastienne and Mr Belle went to a bar to grab a drink.
“The place was very hot with all the people inside so I asked Gilbert for us to go outside. He replied ‘you go, I’ll join you afterwards’ […] I went out and sat outside with my beer; after 20 minutes outside talking to a guy, another guy from outside who knows Gilbert and I said ‘your bother in law has fallen inside’,” recounted Mr Belle.
Inside the bar, Mr Belle encountered people who were trying to get Mr Bastienne to stand and it did not look like he had any injuries and he was able to reply that he was doing fine.
When they left the bar, heading to Mr Bastienne’s Jeep, they found that the windscreen had been cracked and the tyres slashed.
“We concluded that this was a malicious act,” he added.
Mr Belle explained that he had intended to accompany Mr Bastienne to the clinic because the latter had hit his head when he fell, and they got a ride in a pick-up.
Mr Bastienne insisted that he felt fine so they went home to sleep but later Mr Belle heard him snoring in a way that indicated that he was not well.
The ambulance from the Logan hospital came to the house to bring Mr Bastienne to the hospital. He was not responsive at the time.
Mr Belle said that he stayed outside while the nurse and doctor were attending to Mr Bastienne until the nurse came outside to inform him that Mr Bastienne had passed.
