Supreme Court makes interim order to further detain alleged money-laundering suspects |29 April 2023

 Ruling for application of remand will be delivered on Wednesday

The Supreme Court, presided by Judge Brassel Adeline, made an interim order yesterday afternoon to extend the detention of two suspects in an alleged money-laundering case, until Wednesday, for the court to go over the points filed by both the prosecution and suspects’ counsel, on the application for remand.

Yesterday, prosecutor Neesa Thompson outlined the grounds under which the two suspects should be remanded into police custody while the Financial Crime Investigation Unit, within the Police department, pursues its investigation into the alleged money-laundering case.

The prosecution averred that the two Seychellois nationals, suspect 1 and 2, of Eden Island and Beau Vallon respectively, had used their businesses to launder money from illicit activities, suspected to be drug trafficking. They are being investigated under the Anti-Money laundering and Countering of Terrorism Act 2020.

The businesses are mainly car rental and rental of villas and apartments.

Counsel Thompson claimed that suspect number one did not register all of his vehicles and he was disposing properties suspected to derive from criminal conduct, and suspect number two has two vehicles registered to his name, although he was not in a financial position at the time of purchase, to generate the funds required to purchase said vehicles.

Another claim by the prosecution was that the amount of cash found in their possession, which was a substantial amount, could not be supported by documents although they claimed it was from their businesses.

The prosecution told the court that a substantial amount of cash in several currencies namely, rupees, pound sterling, euro and US dollars were found in their possession and the prosecution said the two should be held further as the case was a complex one that needed more time to be investigated before the charges are filed.

Objecting to the application, the suspects’ counsel, Basil Hoareau, averred the prosecution and the FCIU were grabbing at straws as their claims were vague, not factual, and could not be substantiated with evidence, stating they “could not prove a prima facie case”, meaning it was not sufficiently established with evidence to justify their argument for remanding them into police custody.

Mr Hoareau urged the prosecution to make full disclosure of their claimed facts and ‘analysis’ mentioned in the application, as well as all materials linked to the alleged case.

He stated the application should be dismissed or they should be released on bail, subject to reasonable conditions citing under house arrest, as one of them.

The prosecution averred that due to the complex and sensitive nature of the alleged case, no such conditions should be set.

Following their arguments, Judge Adeline told the court that both parties had raised pertinent points, which should be looked at, and ruled that the court will therefore go over yesterday’s proceedings, and give its ruling on Wednesday morning.

In the meantime the two are to remain in custody at the Anse Aux Pins and Anse Royale police stations.

The two were arrested and detained on Wednesday.

Patsy Canaya