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Corruption at the highest level - Danny Faure Yields to Corruption

Paying for political support under the SPPF

Adocument leaked to Regar shows that Finance Minister Danny Faure wrote off, on his own authority, R10,000 in fines on a prominent SPPF supporter.

The copy of a memorandum from the Legal Advisor in the Ministry of Finance showed that Faure cancelled 50% of the fine which Praslin Businessman Serge Lablache had been liable to pay for price control violations.

In two cases filed, Lablache, who appeared on the SPPF political broadcasts in the last elections, had had the fines assessed compounded for SR20,000. He told the legal officer pursuing the case, Colin Jean-Louis, that he had spoken to the Minister. Jean-Louis sent the case file to Faure who “approved” for Lablache to pay only R10,000.

This was plain corruption and with political motives. The offences against Lablache date back to 2002 and 2003 when he had been prominently against the SPPF. In fact, he had been a candidate for the Democratic Party for the constituency of Grand Anse Praslin in the 2002 parliamentary elections.

So the possible scenario is that Lablache, feeling threatened by the charges against him, turns to the SPPF and speaks in their televised party political broadcast. When the time comes, Faure bends the rules for him.

The questions that Danny Faure and James Michel have to answer now are:

• How many people in their PPBs were facing similar legal threats and were counting on favours to escape?
• How many others assessed for fines have had similar favours?
• How much have such favours cost the people of Seychelles?
• How much did President Michel use such favours to get re-elected?

Source: Regar 1-29-10