TRNUC hears from a witness and a complainant |09 November 2021

A witness and a complainant appeared in the 222nd hearing session of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission yesterday.

Case 0335 Selwyn Renaud

Former brigadier and second in command of the Seychelles’ armed forces, Leopold Payet, was the first person to appear in open session before the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) as witness in Case 0335: Selwyn Renaud for unlawful arrest by army personnel.

Mr Renaud had said that in early 1990 he was a passenger on a Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) bus when it was stopped by army personnel at the Anse Aux Pins bus terminal and he was taken off the bus, put in an army vehicle and taken to the Bel Eau army headquarters where he was questioned regarding illegal drug issues.

He said this happened around the time that several prisoners had escaped from the Grand Police prison and made their way to Silhouette.

He had stated that after the interrogation, he, along with other Rastafarians who were also arrested in relation to the same drug issues, were put in cells and later brought down to the Central Police Station for further questioning by the police before returning to the cells at the Bel Eau army headquarters.

Mr Renaud had also said that around 11pm that same evening, they were released from the cells, ordered to collect their belongings on a table outside and as they left two lines of soldiers with various weapons lined up on both sides of the road leading out of the camp, hit them as they went past.

He also claimed that while he was at Bel Eau, his hair was cut ‒ a fate other Rastafarians suffered.

He said that at the time this incident occurred, Mr Payet was the most senior officer at the camp and that he (Payet) ordered for his mistreatment as well as for other Rastafarians.

In setting out his recollection about the event, Mr Payet said he remembered that the order was given by the commander in chief, President Albert Rene, for all Rastafarians to be picked up and brought to the Bel Eau army headquarters and also to have their hair cut.

He said he didn’t question the president as to why the Rastafarians were to be picked up other than execute his order to pick them up, cut their hair and then release them.

He added that although he felt it was not right to cut the hair of other people, in the army at that time soldiers did not question orders from superiors but only executed them.

Mr Payet also refuted allegations that as an army officer he gave orders for soldiers to be beaten.

He explained that if a soldier had misbehaved or committed a grave error in the army, he or she makes a statement and following investigations they are tried if need be for their mistakes but not to be beaten up.

He added he was not aware that the Rastafarians were beaten up as he was not present.

He stated that the president could have by-passed him and given orders to his (Payet’s) subordinates but he was not aware if such happened.

Asked about the internal coup attempt on September 1986 by high ranking army officers to overthrow the president, Mr Payet said he never knew about it until he was informed by former President James Michel when he was told by him to report for duty at the headquarters that day.

With regards to rebel soldiers being brought to the Bel Eau army headquarters to see President Rene following the August 1982 rebellion, Mr Payet, who was a captain at that time and was stationed at the headquarters, said that he was neither aware that they were brought to the camp nor of them being mistreated.

Case 0495: Maxwell Benoiton

Maxwell Benoiton told the commission that he was unlawfully arrested by the army and placed into a police van at his place of work at the New Port during the army rebellion.

He noted that at that time he was a waterman on board a water barge.

He added that he was targeted because they suspected he was an opposition supporter after he once attended an opposition rally.

He also spoke about his former wife who was in a relationship with a high ranking police officer and this resulted in him being harassed and provoked by the police.

Patrick Joubert