Condenmed to perpertual remand with no bail and not even house arrest as an option.
After being held in jail for 18 months without trial with no trial date in view, both Laura Valabjhi a lawyer and Leslie Benoiton, an army colonel were denied bail. The court did not even judge it judicial to consider house arrest an option for a case which shows no sign of a trial date any sooner.
Albeit a call to the President of Seychelles and the court of Seychelles for justice, Judge Fiona Robinson after taking 6 months for a deliberation ruled in January that Laura should remain on remand behind bars because if she is let out she would interfere with witnesses and evidence or flee the country. It is clear that Laura was arrested and thrown in prison not because she is guilty but because of the threat the authorities thinks she represents in preventing them to prosecute her husband. For the records Laura is a lawyer.
Just to recall the facts that led to this event. The current government on coming to power wanted to prosecute people of the inner circles of the former president.
After arresting them, it was found out that the prosecution and the arrest did not fall under any current laws, so the assembly which is majority run by ruling party made that possible by passing the necessary laws to enable the ACCS to prosecute their case, to hold them ‘in remand as long as they want to, ’ to confiscate everything they have including their personal belongings and even deprive them of funds to pay for their lawyer.
This is a persecution we would say never been seen under the 3rd republic of Seychelles.
The couple has filed various applications since, including the recusal of the Chief Justice who the president appointed.
Earlier this year we learnt that the original charge for the disappearance of the $50 Million for which Mukesh Valabjhi and the ex first lady was arrested for is no more, but with little explanation from the ACCS.
We sincerely feel that if the president of Seychelles is serious about bringing justice for the people of Seychelles, funds from the EU should not be used to enrich the foreign investigators working for ACCS and yet unable to bring this case to trial after over 5 years of investigation. What Seychelles needs now are independent and impartial overseas judges to preside over this case.