SEYCHELLES REALITY

Jonathan Ames Thursday June 09 2022, 12.01am BST, The Times Senior London barristers are embroiled in a row over “a politically motivated prosecution” that has allegedly breached due process in the Seychelles. The family of two defendants who are accused of corruption and weapons charges on the Indian Ocean island have expressed “distress” that one of the prosecution lawyers is a QC from a prominent human rights chambers. Stephen Powles QC, a tenant at Doughty Street, has been instructed by the Seychelles government jointly to lead the prosecution against nine defendants who are associated with or related to France-Albert René, the country’s former president, who died aged 83 in 2019. René had stepped down in 2004, but his party remained in power until 2020, when it lost elections for the first time in 43 years  to a party led by Wavel Ramkalawan, the present leader. Powles is joined on the prosecution side by Edmund Vickers QC of Red Lion Chambers and two junior barristers from Lo...

Spanish and French fishing vessels were found to have been illegally fishing in the exclusive economic zones of Somalia, India and Mozambique, claims a new  report  by the Blue Marine Foundation, an NGO dedicated to marine conservation. The two operate sizeable distant-water fleets that engage in purse seining, large-scale industrial fishing, which poses threat not only to the target species but also – due to large amounts of bycatch it produces – endangers marine life in general. The Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) were established by the UN in 1982 and are  reserved  for the exclusive use by individual sovereign nations. Other vessels can access them only under special legal arrangements. In the case of vessels registered in EU states, access is  negotiated  by the European Commission through the so-called Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs). If there is no SFPA, individual companies can conclude private access agreements with representat...

  From the 1970s until 2007 Félicité Island in the Seychelles laid dormant, populated only by the abandoned remains of a coconut plantation. Located within Seychelles’ inner islands, Félicité was secluded while remaining conveniently close to its neighbouring islands and was well known for its stunning views & nature. It was no surprise when international luxury resort brand Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas announced they were coming to Félicité Island.  In August 2007 the Seychelles government granted a 99-year lease on Félicité Island – also known as Zil Pasyon (or "island of passion" in the local Seychellois Creole language), to a group of investors who aimed to build a luxurious world-class resort and residential villas. The project initially stalled for several years due to the 2008 global financial crisis, leading to a halt in construction. In 2013 a new pair of investors became involved, restarting development.  One man was Singaporean real-estate mogul Kishore B...

  NAIROBI, Kenya, May 23- Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has now gone international, after being invited to Seychelles to assist in an ongoing investigation involving firearms. According to the DCI, the detectives from the forensic ballistic department are already in Seychelles assisting its government to unravel the firearm’s mystery. DCI said its international recognition has been enabled by operationalization of the DCI-National Forensic Laboratory. “The Directorate of Criminal Investigations thanks the government for investing in the state of the art facility and building the capacity of our officers to resolve crimes that are complex in nature,” stated DCI. DCI said that the move also puts them at par with established investigative agencies, across the world. DCI goes global after invitation to aid in firearm investigations in Seychelles » Capital News (capitalfm.co.ke)

  From violations of press freedom to regression in its support for human rights and good governance, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. by  Jean Baptiste We have to uphold a free press and freedom of speech, because in the end, lies and misinformation are no match for the truth.” These words,  spoken  by former U.S. president Barack Obama, are as true today as when they were said. Concerns over freedom of the press are what led the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), Berard Dupres, to  express  his own disappointment with the president of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, whose government has been alleged to have leveraged its state-supported budget to negatively influence freedom of the country’s press. Shockingly, despite these quite serious allegations, the Paris-based NGO  Reporters Without Borders ,  listed  the Seychelles as the highest ranking country in Africa in terms of press...

  Intelvision, a triple-play (Internet, TV, Voice) operator based & operating in Seychelles, has their sights set on bringing 5G to the islands, proving that Seychelles is a competitive force in the telecom industry. Currently,  Intelvision  provides internet service to almost 65% of residential and 5% of businesses in Seychelles. They offer fixed lines and television services, in which Intelvision dominates about 85% of the market.  The project is being financed through partnership with World Bank member the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The international development institution approved a loan of $20 million to the company. The funding, approved late in 2021, will enable Intelvision to lease a new cable being built by British multinational telecommunications company Vodafone as a branch of the 2Africa cable network, one of the largest subsea telecoms cable projects in the world, spanning 37,000 kilometres and connecting 26 countries.  The new ca...

  As Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS), Caroline Abel (Economics Studies 1999) is one of the most influential figures in a country navigating extraordinary global events. What began as a childhood love for mathematics has culminated in the Global Women Achievers Award at the 2022 World Women Leadership Congress Awards in Mumbai. “Covid-19 has been our biggest challenge since the Bank was established four decades ago,” Caroline says. “The shutdown of the tourism sector, which has a direct contribution of around 30% of our gross domestic product, caused the economy to come a standstill. “I don’t see challenges as negatives, though. I see them as opportunities to do new and different things each day.”  This mind-set, adopted during Caroline’s time at Leeds, has proven effective ever since – as well as the recent accolade, Caroline was presented with the Africa's Woman Leaders Award and named Central Bank Governor of the Year in 2020.  Most importantly for her,...