Soopramanien brothers and Bastienne to be sentenced today |02 September 2022
The Soopramanien brothers, Fabio and Dario, along with Gerard Bastienne, are due to be sentenced before the Supreme Court this morning, following pre-sentencing mitigation proceedings yesterday afternoon.
The trio, all of whom are Seychellois nationals, pled guilty to all four counts levied against each of them, including drug importation and human trafficking charges.
During yesterday’s mitigation proceedings, Chief Justice Rony Govinden heard from their legal representatives – Clifford Andre representing Dario, France Bonte representing Fabio, and Alexia Amesbury whose client is Bastienne.
Considering that the three pled guilty at first instance, the attorneys-at-law urged CJ Govinden to impose as lenient a sentence as the law permits, advancing the arguments that the early pleas served to save court’s precious time, sparing court hours of work as would be the case if witnesses were to appear, while also saving the victim and his family from having to testify to court.
Furthermore, court heard how Bastienne and Fabio are first-time offenders, and how they have all expressed remorse at their actions. All three have children, a factor which court was also encouraged to take into consideration in being “magnanimous in mercy”, as Bonte put it.
The three were arrested on November 1, 2021 in Seychelles’ waters in an operation mounted by different law enforcement authorities.
They have been charged with four counts – the first of which is agreeing with other persons to pursue or commit an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 2016, for the importation of heroin, as well as the importation of 130.58 kilogrammes of cannabis, onboard speedboat ‘Flying Fish’.
Having recruited, transported and transferred another Seychellois national, Andy Bistoquet, to an Iranian dhow, they are to also be sentenced for trafficking of a person, contrary to Sections 3 and 5 of the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Act (2014).
The eleven Iranians occupying the dhow from which Bistoquet was rescued on November 7, 2021 were also present for the proceedings. They too are accused of human trafficking.
Laura Pillay