OUR expert correspondent was in court last week and witnessed the spectacle first hand. Just to put you in the picture so that you can follow this little game with ease or war depending on what some people personally stand to gain or lose over this matter following its final outcome. The Acting CJ, who most feels should now be confirmed in that position until a suitable candidate, we mean Seychellois not Irish suitable, a competant Seychellois not any Wilby, Clifford or Ronnie just because they wear the right colour T-shirt when the season of free burgers and beers or 'baka' comes along every five years.
Now let us get back to the business in hand, CJ Perera had ruled in a previous court session that the persons who had provided affidavits to back the government case against the owners of the Plantation Club must testify in open court and that the prosecution could not just relied on the affidavits alone and hence begins the extravaganza. On Monday the 28 April, last week, a well known lady took to the stand. We cannot mention her name here because our man at the court promised to her that we will not do so.
This is proof, if it was ever needed, that we can keep a promise, unlike certain individuals in the mob who wear green wristbands. This promise was made on the basis that we are convinced that the affidavits were made to order and the lady having been placed in a most unattainable position tried to make the best out of a very bad situation. However, what went on in court during the short sessions, morning and afternoon of Monday 28 April, points straight to the leading man who masterminded the whole affair - our very own Governor of the Central Bank.
We can now safely say that his part in this matter seems more than just handyman, in fact he could be chief architect for what we have discovered so far. What is certain at this stage is that he journeyed to Mumbai to meet with executive personnel of the Bank of Baroda, which so happens to be the major creditor in the case. A representative from Ernst & Young, a firm based in Mauritius was appointed as liquidator and, as if by a coincidence, one of the local representatives of this firm is none other than the good wife of the Governor. We also learned in court on Monday that the owners of the Plantation Club did write to the Central Bank way back before the whole affair got cluttered with greed, asking for assistant in raising finance for the refurbishment of the hotel. Plantation Club before anyone forgets is the biggest hotel in the country.
The Seychelles Government has an 8% share in the company which owns the hotel - its past contribution to the local economy is immeasurable. You would think that Central Bank being a government entity would have been happy to assist; wrong, it turned it down. This in itself is very hard to comprehend, a government of a country, which depends largely on the tourism industry, in fact the economy is built on tourism, closing down its biggest hotel, just when we are having an upturn in visitors' numbers??? The Arabs must want this hotel badly…
No one wants to get into unnecessary trouble with His Lordship - this is why we will cease to comment further on court proceedings. However, we must avail of this opportunity to make one last observation: This matter has now put a president and an entire country to shame. The international community is watching the enfolding of this affair with more than passing interest. It could place Seychelles firmly in the doldrums with investors or it can have a totally different result. “Pou Lanmour Sesel”.