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Archive - Archive 2004 - July 2013

Panel to probe claim of beating by police |08 September 2012

The team has been appointed by Home Affairs and Transport Minister Joel Morgan and is made up of David Esparon from the attorney general’s office, medical doctor Laurence Reginald, forensics expert Dr Bushan Arora and Raymond St Ange, security consultant in the minister’s office.


They have been given four days to do their investigation and report to the minister within four days starting on Monday.

Mr Hermitte said comments from members of the public are welcome but he urged people to stick to facts rather than speculation, and gave assurances that as with any other claim of supposed wrong doing by the police, the issue was already being investigated.

Asked why “the force waited until traditional and social media highlighted the issue to start investigations, he said the police had already launched a probe but had not made it public for various reasons”, and called for any people with information regarding the incident to please forward it to the police.

Sources close to the police said they did not want to be seen as blowing up the issue “just because the victim has family ties with a member of the force”.

Nobody has been charged with circulation of material related to the incident and likewise no officer has been suspended from the force for any wrong doing “because investigations have not been concluded and everybody in the matter has his or her rights (which need to be respected)”.

He said Gurkhas normally make up members of police patrols and are always led by a Seychellois officer, and in the case where the soldier was allegedly injured, a Seychellois sergeant was in charge of the group.

Mr Hermitte said the use of violence against members of the public is not part of the training given to cadets and neither do officers carry weapons meant to cause grave injuries as they have only what they need to defend themselves.

“Although the victim has not fully recovered he is recuperating well at home where he went after being treated at a hospital,” he said.

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