Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly asked to retract article |30 April 2009

Attorney-at-law Basil Hoareau has written to both the editor of Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly and its publisher in Mauritius, Edison Printing Services.

Mr Hoareau, acting on behalf of the ministers, wrote that the “article is defamatory of my clients as it is insinuating that my clients form part of a cabinet of ministers in which corruption is rampant”.

“My clients strongly deny each and every allegation that has been made in the article, as the said allegations are utterly false, unfounded and have no basis whatsoever.

“The article was clearly motivated by malice and with a clear political intention of tarnishing the good character and integrity of my clients, so as to cause the Seychellois public to lose confidence in them,” said Mr Hoareau.

Failure by the publisher and the editor to retract the article and to publish an apology to the ministers will result in legal proceedings against the newspaper and publisher, he added.