Darros Mystery: ADIEU TO ANY STAMP DUTY on billionaire's island
IT HAS has now been confirmed by Finance Principal Secretary Ahmed Afif that there is nothing that the Seychelles Government can do to retrieve stamp duty not paid by French billionaire Lilianne Bettencourt for the purchase of D'Arros Island, 12 years ago since the transfer was conducted in an offshore jurisdiction.
According to France’s ‘Paris Match’ magazine, the D'Arros sale was for 60 million Euros, which means that stamp duty at the time, (10%) would have netted six million Euros to the Seychelles coffers.
Afif, who was speaking in an SBC interview, said though Seychelles could make a formal request (presumably to Lichtenstein, where the offshore for the D'Arros transaction was carried out) most states refuse to supply information on monetary transactions of their citizens, unless there is already a bilateral treaty for that purpose between the two countries.
Though the purchase made through the transfer of shares of the D'Arros Island Establishment is believed to be 60 million Euros, the French and other media presently value the island at over 400 million Euros.
Paris Match has in a recent edition published a colourful report on D'Arros - 1900 metres long by 1,000 metres wide which has been the focus of attention of the French media for the past two months. This beautiful Seychelles Island, writes Paris Match is being investigated by the “Le Brigade Financiere” for tax evasion, money laudering and other offences.
At the centre of the scandal, Mrs. Bettencourt, the tycoon herself, the photograph Francois-Marie Banier, Fabrice Goilal, former lawyer of the billionaire, who allegedly set up a foundation in Lichtenstein and Patrice de Maistre, manager of the fortune.
However, according to ‘Le Monde’, the French diplomatic daily, which quotes excerpts from phone conversations, the beneficiaries of the Lichtenstein foundation are Francois-Marie Barnier and via three medical associations, a couple, ever present in the entourage of the billionaire, Gilles Drucker and his girl-friend, Christine Karlama, both specialists in the anti-AIDS campaign.
During investigations, Barnier is alleged to have said: “This island, I really detest. It teems with mosquitoes, is too small and very humid. In addition to that, there are the sharks.”
However in a letter to Lilianne Bettencourt, written in May 2005, Banier had rang another bell. The letter, carried by the weekly ‘Marianne’ reminded Mrs. Bettencourt that it was him, Barnier who had acquainted Mrs. Bettencourt with D'Arros, and encouraged her to buy this “idyllic place”. Banier complained that Mrs. Bettencourt had objected that he vacations there for two weeks, while she allowed the Pahlavis, referring to the Iranian family, previous owners of D'Arros. It appears that the Pahlavi family still has an interest in D'Arros.
Barnier was later tipped to be the new owner of D'Arros and said he had learned of the offer from Mrs. Bettencourt herself.
An inter-island skipper has told ‘Weekly’ that when a few years ago, he brought a party of tourists to the Amirantes and anchored off D'Arros to allow his clients to dive or snorkel, two young Frenchmen suddenly appeared in a zodiac, ordering him to anchor somewhere else. It was pointed out that the yacht was just in front of Madame's house and this was disturbing her.
The skipper replied that Madame owned the island, but not the Indian Ocean and refused to move until evening when his clients had completed their diving and snorkeling and it was time to depart.
It has also been reported to this newspaper, that Madame also requested permission to break some coral heads in the inshore waters of D’Arros. Government quickly obliged by sending a team from the navy to dynamite the corals. The anchorage in front of the main house is a ‘fond blanc’, where sharks, rays and other interesting or terr5ifying marine creatures thrive.
According to Paris Match, whenever Madame Bettencourt visits her island most westerners are whisked off the island. Only remaining are some 150 Seychellois and Indian workers, whose main duties are to keep the island clean, collect coconuts to prevent “untidy” germination, water the flowers and vegetables, feed the fish and keep the fish tanks spanking clear.
In 2002, the Seychellois and Indian workers carried out important construction and renovation works. This involved the main house, notably the kitchen floor, re-tiling the swimming pools.
Visitors to D'Arros can also contemplate a wealth of marine life in 8 basins on the verandah of the main house. Besides various coral growths, there are sea urchins, stomps, oysters and other marine fauna.
The foundation set up to manage D'Arros is supposedly one to encourage scientific research and preservation of marine equilibrium.
French police are also interested in Carlos Cassina Vejarano, aged 62, who knows D'Arros since 35 years, otherwise, since it was purchased by Sharam Pahlavi, nephew of the Shah of Iran from the Temooljees for 450,000 pounds sterling in 1975.
This Spaniard, officially residing in Switzerland, is all for money, according to excerpts of taped conversations, carried by Paris Match. He reportedly asked for 7 million Euros a year to manage D'Arros, but got two million. Ms Bettencourt told him: “He steals from you, but also loves you and is above all, very loyal”.
Though Carlos lives at D'Arros only occasionally, he is always there whenever Madame Bettencourt vacations. He knows what Madame likes and makes sure that he always brings her a souvenir from one of his travels far and wide.
The transaction of 1975, when D'Arros was transferred from Teemooljees to Sharam Pahlavi not Mrs. Bettencourt and her company, is the only transfer recorded at the Registry of Lands, when stamp duty was last paid.
Source: Lenouveauseychellesweekly 8-17-10