Prison Service and Anti-Corruption Commission strengthen partnership through MoU signing   |21 March 2023

Commissioner St Ange and Commissioner De Silva exchange documents after signing the MoU

The Anti-Corruption Commission Seychelles (ACCS) and the Seychelles Prison Service signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) yesterday morning to further develop their partnership in creating anti-corruption awareness and addressing corruption within the prison setting.

The signing, conducted by the ACCS Commissioner, May De Silva, and Commissioner of Seychelles Prison Service, Raymond St Ange, was done in the presence of the Minister for Internal Affairs, Errol Fonseka, along with staff members from both organisations.

“ACCS highly appreciates the integral role of Seychelles Prison Service within the criminal justice system of our nation. This memorandum of understanding reflects the excellent mutual relations between our two organisations to work together to detect, investigate and prosecute corruption, abuse of public office and related serious criminality, but it is more than just that, we recognise the need to prevent corruption taking hold in the first place and our joint staff awareness training will look to educate the officers within the SPS of the impact of this criminality on Seychelles,” said Commissioner De Silva.

The MoU will strengthen efforts in the detection and prevention of corruption and related serious offences, to share knowledge, legal frameworks and best practices on the prevention of corruption and related serious offences and to enhance capacity through joint training, projects, workshops, seminars and conferences.

“With the signing of this new MoU, I welcome the ACCS’ continued commitment to prevent corruption in all public ministries, departments and agencies across Seychelles. The Prison Service is not immune from this epidemic and we will work with ACCS to develop our officers as part of their continuing professional development and the strengthening of the system. There is no hiding place for the bad apples that sour the good name of the Seychelles Prison Service and if we need to take the keys off them and leave them behind bars, then we will,” said Commissioner St Ange.

Contributed