Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor

Seychelles Police turned Whisky into Tea

Sir, I am a young police officer who has just joined the force and you will understand why I cannot reveal my identity.

I was very confused last week after that I overheard a conversation regarding some whiskey that was in the possession of the police as exhibit and now and that the case has ended it was return to its proprietor which is the SMB and I understand that one Mr. Marimba has claimed that the whiskey has turned into tea.

I believe that if you investigate you will definitely have a good story such as Jesus Christ turned water into wine and the Seychelles police being so conscious about drunken driving turn whiskey into tea.

It is in fact in this police station and I don’t think that I have made the right choice of joining it.

Keep up the good work.

A Policeman

Glenny Savy is returning to S.F.A.

Sir, congratulations on your investigative journalism on the Fisheries Sector. I think that you are not aware that Glenny Savy is returning to S.F.A. He was part of a big delegation who went to the European Union with Randolph Payet, Finley Racombo etc.

How much did this trip cost? Why so much secrecy? President Michel replaced Savy because he wanted change. Savy had done too much harm. Is it now that the new Chairman is no good?

Please investigate for the love of Seychelles.

A Fisherman

Opposition supporters beaten up by SSU

Sir, in the foreign news on SBC TV last week, when British Prime Minister Tony Blair was presenting his plan for a modernised Trident Nuclear Missile Arsenal, outside the Parliament building were hundreds of anti-nuclear protestors peacefully demonstrating against the plan. However, I didn’t see any special “savage” unit (S.S.U) officers (as my Mauritian friend Francois labelled that unit) savagely clobbering the demonstrators on the heads as it did here in Seychelles on 3rd October 2006.

The British Government obviously respects the rights of its citizen to demonstrate peacefully. By contrast, here in Seychelles not only the Commissioner of Police but the President as well condoned and praised the S.S.U’s brutal and barbaric actions. The President was at that time in Rome, meeting with the Pope, confidently claimed that he was kept abreast of what was going on in Seychelles that fateful day. Isn’t it ironic therefore that only a few months before the same President Michel declared in a meeting at State House with three top Seychellois athletes that “mon pa ti konnen” (I didn’t know) about their plight in their respective sports?

The President knew obviously, even miles away in another Country, about the beating up of opposition supporters by S.S.U, but he didn’t know about the problems faced by athletes in his own Country! Like my sarcastic friend Francois remarked,

“The President was probably on planet Mars at that time soliciting investments in Seychelles with Martian businessman, whereby they may be able to keep all forex earned as well as “buying” large tract of state lands for one rupee!”

Martian Inc

The Silhouette EIA- fooling the Seychellois public again?

Sir,an Environmental Impact Assessment will be done for the road on Silhouette which is intended to be built for the new 5 Star resort development. Let us look at who is doing the EIA. Mr. Mike Betts of the NGO, Island Conservation Society is undertaking the EIA (see below). An NGO should not be doing a consultancy like an EIA because it is not a consultancy business and should also be independent to voice its views on EIAs and development proposals. But most importantly, the Island Conservation Society has been set up by the very people requesting the study, according to public documentation submitted by the NGO. Who are these people? One is the Executive Chairman and CEO of IDC which owns and manages Silhouette island. Another one is the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Environment which manages and approves Environmental Impact assessments and keeps an eye on development and lastly an accountant and an associate of the CEO of IDC in various projects and other developments. So how is it that this EIA will be done properly and without undue influence if the key people who set up the NGO are interested parties?

Regards,

A concerned citizen

Enforcement Of Party Finance Laws

Sir, political parties are there to advance the social and economic wellbeing of the Seychelles nation. This can only be done through constructive debate on all issues that affect the social and economic lives of our citizens. The rule of “one person, one vote” should never be reduced to an evaluation of short-term personal financial gain from vote buying. Such practice is a corruption of the democratic process whilst, politics is reduced to seeking illegal sources of financing to remain in power. Anti-corruption reform in the political arena should be tackled head-on.

An urgent need for addressing corruption in public life is required. The issues that require attention are a) the enactment and proper enforcement of party finance laws b) monitoring of the same, through independent and adequately resourced agencies and c) the monitoring and reporting by civil society and the media.

Legislation should require accurate information about political spending practices. Such information is currently unavailable to the public. Reporting requirements are non-existent. No enforcement agency (e.g. Taxation Division) has been empowered to investigate party financing, and where these do exist, in the case of the Election Commissioner it lacks the skills and resources to collect the information.

Thanking you for the space.

J.R.