Three men facing drug and human trafficking charges to reappear before court on February 10, 2022 |28 January 2022

February 10, 2022 is the date set for the court to hear pleas from three Seychellois men who are facing charges in connection with a significant drug seizure and human trafficking.

The ruling was given by Chief Justice Rony Govinden in yesterday’s session at the Supreme Court following the absence of lawyer Basil Hoareau, representing one of the accused.  Only lawyers Clifford Andre and France Bonte were present to represent their clients accused in the case. One of the accused was also not present.

As all three accused are facing the charges together as one case, CJ Govinden said that lawyer Hoareau has to be present for his client to be able to take a plea along with the others.

He stated that a notice will be served to Mr Hoareau for him to appear in the sitting on February 10, 2022 amid other decisions that he (Hoareau) might decide to take in relation to his client.

It is to be noted that there were six men, aged between 25 and 52 years old, on trial in the case involving a significant drug seizure onboard two leisure boats following a joint operation by the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF), the National Information Sharing and Coordination Centre (NISCC) and the Seychelles Police Force in September2021.

Five suspects were apprehended with the drug onboard the leisure boats while a sixth suspect was arrested later in connection with the seizure.

It was found that the drug in question was connected to a case of a missing person whereby Andy Bistoquet was found onboard an Iranian dhow outside our economic zone in November 2021 as part of a drug exchange deal. Three among the accused have already been released by the court and charges against them dropped.

Patrick Joubert