CAPTAIN DAVID SAVY MIGHT GO TO PRISON!

CAPTAIN DAVID SAVY MIGHT GO TO PRISON!

Captain David Savy in Air Force uniform.

The heirs of Air Seychelles pilot Captain Colin Williamson has instructed a lawyer to file a case against Air Seychelles this week compelling the company to pay R350,000 which was awarded in favour of the pilot for unlawful dismissal.

The lawyer has apparently filed an application with the Supreme Court this week asking the Court to issue summons to show cause against Captain Savy why he should not be committed to civil imprisonment for failure to pay the debt.

Such an order has only become possible after Judge Karunakaran lifted the corporate veil in an unprecedented case when he ruled that Paul Chow is personally liable for the debt of a company which he was a director/shareholder instead of the company itself as has been hitherto the case. The Judge further ordered that if Paul Chow failed to pay the debt personally he will send him to prison. Chow has appealed against the judgement and is still waiting for the Court of Appeal to dispose of the case.

It remains to be seen whether Judge Karunakaran will adopt the same approach in relation to the application of the heirs of Captain Williamson. If he does, as he is required by law to do, it would mean that David Savy may find himself facing a prison sentence for failure to pay the debt by Air Seychelles.