Times of Seychelles’ editor questioned by police |27 October 2015

The editor of the Times of Seychelles newspaper George Thande has been questioned by the police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the allegations of abuse his newspaper has made on 30-year-old Sri Lankan national Gihan Fernando by Lalyans Seselwa leader and presidential hopeful Patrick Pillay.

The Times of Seychelles had from August this year published a series of articles suggesting that Mr Pillay had not respected the working conditions with the young Sri Lankan he employed as a house boy from December 2014 to February 2015, and had rather abused him. It was reported that the Sri Lankan was not paid for additional duties he was forced to perform.

Mr Pillay, a former Parti Lepep minister and former Seychelles’ ambassador in London, has already been questioned by the same police unit on suspicion of human trafficking, with no charges put against him to date.

“I have not committed any crime and I do not know why the police have called me,” a confident George Thande said as he arrived at the CID unit at exactly 2pm yesterday afternoon.

He was however arrested and questioned under caution and was visibly more emotional when he was released about half an hour later.

His lawyer Basil Hoareau, who had accompanied his client to the CID offices, confirmed that he had been questioned for criminal defamation following two complaints filed to the police, one by Mr Pillay himself and the other by the latter’s lawyer Daniel Cesar.

The CID officers have also informed Mr Thande that they are going on with their investigation and that they will call him back if need be.

Reacting to the investigation, the seasoned journalist expressed his surprise for the complaint and consequent investigation, especially for criminal defamation, a law which he says is outdated and everybody is calling to be repealed.

“In normal circumstances the law should be repealed as recommended by the Court of Appeal and political parties. As in several other cases of criminal defamation, I could have expected to answer to a civil case, but what is surprising is that the same opposition politicians who are fighting for the law to be repealed are having recourse to the same piece of legislation which they claim to be unconstitutional,” Mr Thande said.

He has also qualified the interview under caution of journalists by the police as a threat to the media and to freedom of expression in Seychelles.

While questioning the long time taken to file a civil case, Mr Hoareau also suggested that the case could have been taken to court as a civil matter.

“Either they want to make a publicity stunt by filing a criminal complaint which is not sincere, or they want to test the police,” Mr Hoareau commented.

He even defied the complainants by inviting them to file a civil case.

Meanwhile, Times of Seychelles journalist Davidson Barra has also been asked to report to the CID unit today in connection to the same case.