In the National Assembly Leader of opposition calls for support of colleagues in majority to table censure motion to unseat Minister Derjacques    |01 June 2022

The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Sebastien Pillay yesterday called on his colleagues in the majority party Linyon Demokratik Seselwa to back him so he can get the support of a third of the members to allow him to give notice to the Assembly and Speaker Roger Mancienne before tabling a motion of censure to unseat the Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques. 

This, he said, is because Minister Derjacques did not disclose to the Assembly his direct link to the law firm representing Travisory.

In a matter of privilege raised in the House yesterday, Mr Pillay related to the reply Assembly members received from Minister Derjacques in March with regard to the law chamber representing Travizory and he said he did not have any conflict of interest with the firm.

But yesterday Mr Pillay presented the Assembly with incorporation documents of the law firm Ferley and Associates with Minister Derjacques appearing in it as an associate, meaning that the minister or his chamber is acting as legal advisor to Travizory.

“I believe this is a violation and lack of honesty on the part of the minister because he should have declared his interest and this also means that there could be collusion taking place in relation to Travizory and the office of the minister. This is why under Article 74 of our Constitution I am giving notice that I intend to table a motion of censure provided that I get the support of a third of the Assembly members and these include colleagues from the majority party.

“This is to ask that the minister resigns by the fact that he has misled the House and this could also represent an abuse of his position as minister,” Hon. Pillay stated.

For his part, Speaker Mancienne said the best way to proceed on this matter is for him to have time to go through the verbatim to see how the question was asked and how it was answered to see if the matter of privilege is justified. 

An online electronic health travel authorisation system, Travisory is a Swiss-based organisation who started operating in the country since it signed a contract with the Ministry of Transport. Travisory is recognised by many international organisations including Interpol.

Marie-Anne Lepathy