TRNUC hears more cases of victimisation |27 November 2021
The Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission yesterday heard more cases of victimisation from two complainants in its 235th hearing session.
Case 0363: Paul Michaud
Paul Michaud was the first before the commission in open session yesterday morning to present his second complaint following a first one he brought in before, in relation to land acquisition.
The first half of his complaint was related to deprivation by the state of his further studies and also being kidnapped by the authority, which concluded further in closed session.
Mr Michaud said that he, along with a group of students, were deprived of their choice of studies as the authority arranged for them to waste years overseas, without attending any university to get the training course that had been imposed on them.
He said that he and some other students in the group were targeted and victimised because their families did not support the government.
He said that after finishing his studies, he was promised a scholarship in Greece and he, along with some 20 other students, proceeded on the scholarship in 1984 which was supposed to be in English but later learn on arrival that it was to be held in the ancient Greek language.
He noted that among the students were spies from the army, among whom one carried a pistol with him on board the plane and was able to pass through customs.
He said that once in Greece they were sent to a dormitory up in the mountain where they stayed there for one year without ever attending any classes at any university.
Mr Michaud said that he returned to Seychelles to see Willy Confait, in charge of overseas studies at the Ministry of Education then and he was told to go back and to change his area of studies.
He said he went back to Greece to study aviation mechanic but he was not enrolled on any such course.
He said that he contacted Mr Confait again regarding his studies and after the conversation, he was approached by the management of a small airport in Greece to start the course.
He said that once at the small airport, he was not attended to and when he asked why, he was told that they had been told that he was the son of President Albert Rene and that instructions have been given not to bother him and to let him do whatever he wants other than to study.
He stated that he came back to Seychelles again and applied for a scholarship in England paid out of his family’s pocket.
He said that while in England, the Seychelles authority even tried to have him removed from the university.
He added that after his studies he was lucky to get a job at Cable and Wireless.
Mr Michaud said that he later understood from a French consul that he was being penalised to pursue his further studies following claims that he rudely welcomed former President James Michel, a minister at that time, in France and which was not true.
He confirmed that he did meet Mr Michel in France once and he welcomed him with the ‘salut monsieur ministre’ in French and the minister took his greeting as ‘solo monsieur ministre’, which he (minister) took very badly.
He stated that some students did stay to continue their studies in Greece and those who returned to the country were victimised further.
In relation to the kidnapping incident, Mr Michaud said that in 1984 before proceeding on his scholarship in Greece, some people stationed in a car at Union Vale, in the vicinity of Independent School, tried to kidnap him.
He said that he was cooling down at around 7pm in the area after a routine running session following some earlier sailing training sessions at the Seychelles Yacht Club, when he noticed them.
He said that he ran as fast as he could to evade them and he went to report the incident to the Central Police Station the following day.
He further said that the police said they would investigate but they never got back to him.
Mr Michaud stated that he later learned from Alex Lucas, the younger brother of the then army officer, Philip Lucas, that his army brother had told him to tell him (Michaud) that the attempted kidnap was a mistaken identity.
He added that the army officer had said that they had had information that he (Michaud) was also involved in the preparations for the mercenary attack.
He said that at that time people used to invent stories on others and report them to the state for favours or to destroy them.
He stated he would like all those who have victimised him to come forward and repent and he will then forgive them.
He also asked for Mr Confait to pay him back the fees his family paid for his studies in England as he (Confait) conspired against him.
Speaking on the situation in the country during the one party state, Mr Michaud said that former President Albert Rene surrounded himself with zombies to do his dirty work and then it came to a point where he could not control them.
He added that the President knew what his zombies were doing and did nothing to stop them from doing evil deeds other than to continue to pay them their salaries and allow them to enjoy their privileges.
Case 0492: Roy Finesse
Roy Finesse was again before the commission to finish up with his complaint which he started on his unlawful dismissal at the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC). He said he never got the dismissal letter but rather his dismissal was read out to him by the managing director, Guy Albert, and for which he was not properly compensated.
In his complaint yesterday, Mr Finesse said he was victimised by the state through the then Seychelles Industrial Development Corporation (Sidec) for ownership of a craft kiosk at Esplanade in 1998 because he printed 11,000 free t-shirts for the Seychelles National Party (SNP).
He said he had parted company with his co-partner in the design and printing company ‘Spectra Design’ which was based at Anse Aux Pins and he had moved the business to Belonie, Victoria.
He said that he printed the t-shirts because he was a sympathiser of the opposition, although his family supported the ruling party.
Mr Finesse said he went to Sidec for more clarification and he was told that he had to clear a loan from the company before he could be granted a kiosk.
He said an arrangement was made for him to clear the loan but even after the clearance, he was not offered one, although he was promised.
He added that since then 10 kiosks had changed hands from 1998 to 2020 and he was not successful in getting one as the company for business development services, now Enterprise Seychelles Agency (Esa) has no file on him.
He said he had three files recorded with the company.
He stated that he went to see various ministers and personnel of the past government in relation to business development services, including the anti-victimisation committee in the national assembly, in relation to his problem, and he is happy to have had a good response from the current minister, Devika Vidot. He added that Esa owes him loss of revenue for the 23 years he had been waiting to conduct his business.
Patrick Joubert
