(Published as it appeared in the Italian Life on 15th July 2008)
SEYCHELLES JAIL HELL FOR TURIN MAN
Federico Boux, 32, is accused of drug trafficking. Faces ten-year sentence. Boux claims he was framed by an Italian. Protest at beatings of jailed man to force confession
Cook Federico Boux moved to the holiday paradise of the Seychelles, lured by the prospect of a well-paid, gratifying job. Instead, he walked into hell. Robbed of all he had and accused of drug running, he was thrown into Montagne Posee jail on the island of Mahe, where he was beaten up by the guards and prisoners. Now he is awaiting the outcome of a trial that could see him facing ten years in prison. The next hearing is scheduled for Friday.
THE BACKGROUND – In a month’s time, Turin-born Federico Boux, 32, will have been in a 
squalid Seychelles jail for one year. He is accused of possessing six grams of cut heroin – two grams of pure substance – but his strange story has all the hallmarks of a settling of scores, a fraud or a scam. In fact, the episode is reminiscent of Estella and Angelo Ricci’s troubles in Kenya. They were accused of trafficking 1.8 tons of cocaine and spent 19 months in Nairobi jail in appalling conditions, only to be released and acquitted of all charges by the apologetic authorities. The Boux’s story began in October 2004 when the family – Ezio, a recently retired accountant, his wife Oriella and their son Federico – met Salvatore Procopio, who suggested they should leave Turin for a new life in the Seychelles. Ezio and Oriella would be able to relax in the tropics while Federico, a qualified cook, would find work in one of the tourist resorts. The Bouxs were enthusiastic, says Ezio, and the family left.
THREATS – Procopio is an Italian citizen but he also has a Seychelles passport, without which it is impossible to set up a company on the archipelago. He runs a restaurant and proposed that Ezio should go into business with him. To Ezio, it looked like an excellent way of finding work for Federico. He agreed, although he had to buy the kitchen equipment himself as a down payment on his contribution to the business. Demands for money multiplied, however, as Ezio Boux’s name continued to be absent from all the documents. Officially, he owned nothing, not even the two cars he had paid for and imported legally. “Procopio and his wife owned everything”, says Ezio. “I was afraid of being swindled and protested. In early 2006, I asked for a full statement of account. All I have to show for my money is receipts, nothing else. I got no satisfaction. Procopio threatened to get me expelled from the country, claiming he had friends in high places, including the presidency. I was scared I would lose everything I had invested and all the assets. He even threatened me and my son physically. And when I remonstrated, he said that he was a Seychelles citizen and as such untouchable”.
THE STORY GOES ON – The story reached its dramatic climax a year later when Federico was arrested after a burglary at the Bouxs’ home. Oriella was beaten up by a gang and required fourteen stitches to her head in hospital. At that point, Ezio sought the services of a security company. It was the end. The representative, Yussuf Joel Ester, introduced himself: “I’m a friend of Procopio’s”. Ezio Boux goes on: “For a while, the house was protected. Then Yussuf began to make threats and demand increasingly large amounts of money which we refused to give him. At that point, they sprang their trap. Yussuf and two friends came to our house when we were out. They roughed up Federico and thrust a plastic bag into his hand, telling him to deliver it to someone they knew in the town centre. My son drove away from the house with the packet to get us. But a few metres along the road, the police were waiting, having been tipped off. The bag contained six grams of heroin and twelve syringes. A set-up!”
VIOLENCE IN JAIL – Federico’s endless torment began on the day of his arrest, 16 August 2007. He was repeatedly beaten up by the guards or other prisoners for a packet of cigarettes or a mobile phone stashed in the cell. His family had to pay the guards to leave him alone. “They also want to chase us off the island to stop us reclaiming our assets and other property”, mutters the exasperated accountant. “Our home is in Procopio’s name and he has padlocked the doors. We can’t even get in to collect our things. The next hearing is on Friday. We’ll see whether the judge at least gives Federico bail”.
Massimo A. Alberizzi