Supreme Court tackling murder trials |24 January 2024

The trial in the murder of 44-year-old Cliff Pillay, which occurred at the North East Point playing field on December 7, 2022 started on Monday, with the jury selection process.

Nine jurors, 5 females and 4 males, were selected to listen to the facts of the case, and determine if the defendant is innocent or guilty.

The defendant on Monday pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.

The trial continued with the prosecution’s opening address yesterday, before presiding Judge David Esparon. 

Meanwhile, two suspects in separate murder cases were formally charged yesterday.

The 37-year-old suspect, the daughter of the late proportional National Assembly member Rosie Bistoquet, was formally charged before Chief Justice Rony Govinden.

She will remain in remand custody up until February 6, when she is due back in court. As ordered by CJ Govinden, she will be remanded at the Montagne Posée remand centre and not the Takamaka police station, despite the request of Legal Counsel Basil Hoareau, who asked that she remains at Takamaka.

The Seychelles Police, in a statement issued on Friday December 22, 2023, announced that they are investigating the death of Mrs Bistoquet, aged 62, as she was found unresponsive by police officers on December 21.

A family member had raised the alarm regarding Mrs Bistoquet’s state to the Anse Aux Pins police station.

In addition, the 41-year-old Vietnamese man who is suspected to have murdered a 22-year-old Myanmar man onboard a fishing vessel, was also charged before Judge Melchior Vidot.

As per the initial report to the police, the two were involved in an altercation during the early hours of December 20, 2023, on a fishing vessel which was in Seychelles’ Exclusive Economic Zone. Allegedly, the suspect injured the victim with an object, resulting in his death.

Both suspects had initially appeared in court on December 26, and were remanded up until January 9, 2024.

Laura Pillay