Caesar is dead, long live Caesar! After months of speculation, Chief Justice Vivekanand Alleear has finally gone. It appears that after causing the government considerable embarrassment, it was decided that he should leave, but in an honorable way. It was also felt proper that he should wait for the new salary packages for constitutional appointees, recently voted by SPPF and SNP MNAs to take effect. This increased the CJs salary to R34, 000 monthly, plus 25% end of year gratuity and 50% end of term .Additionally, 75% pension after that was also provided for.
CJ Allear is not the only one benefiting from such a fat sum, but since he has left the country and brought his two young daughters with him, it is likely that special provisions will be made to ensure that he be paid his pension and gratuity in foreign exchange. At one time, CJ Alleear, who came to Seychelles green from law studies in UK and joined the Law Centre, was also allocated land on ex-Adnan Kashogi property at Bel Ombre, on which he built a block of flats which he later sold for a fat profit. He also ran other activities on the side, including a little tuck shop selling chewing gum, samoosa and gato piman at Anse Royale. Albert Rene is known to have asked him once to choose between selling bananas in his tuck shop or being his Chief Justice!
But, Alleear’s biggest legacy is the shambles he has left behind in the judiciary. During his tenure of about 12 years, he regularly went on SBC TV to relentlessly attack other judges, magistrates, lawyers and even the Court of Appeal. Lacking dignity, he showed no discretion or restraint whatsoever and once even called for the summary execution of a detainee, who had been rude to him. He shouted to the police guards to “shoot to kill” in open court. Luckily, even the PMU officer was not so trigger happy.
CJ Alleear so ruthlessly humiliated the former chairman of the Court of Appeal, the respected, Micheal Ramodimedi, that the latter was forced to leave and is now again working in Lesotho. Despite all these, we wish CJ Alleear and his family well!!!