Truth, Reconciliation & National Unity Commission |03 June 2020

 Michel family of Baie Lazare claims victimisation, ex-police officer testifies in death by explosion

Following two close sessions in the morning, complainant Dora Michel, in case 084, was before the commission in the afternoon, in the first of two open sessions to complain on cases of victimisation suffered by the Michel family from Baie Lazare, under the one party state. She was accompanied by some members of the family.

To start off, she claimed that her uncle, Joseph Michel, a Customs officer, while waiting for transport at the junction of Corgate Estate to work, was fired at twice by a group of drunken people in a pick-up truck (whom she described as thugs). She alleged that such incident had never happened before in the country and little did his uncle know then that a coup had happened. She noted that the shots fired, of which the bullet holes are still vivid on the wall at Corgate Estate, has petrified her uncle to this day, although he wasn’t hurt.

Ms Michel added that her uncle was also victimised in his work and was later unlawfully dismissed and thereafter was refused work in the country. She noted that he sought political asylum in Canada and died there.

Speaking of her father Philippe Michel, who was a head teacher at the Baie Lazare school, she claimed that he was verbally informed by a representative from the Ministry of Education in January 1978 while he was on extended leave, that he was being dismissed with no explanation. From there, she added, he was not able to get into teaching again.

Commenting on her own story, Ms Michel alleged that her husband, of Belgian origin and who arrived in Seychelles in 1975 and owned a small boat manufacturing business, was expelled from the country in 1987 for being outspoken against the government.

She said that he was given only 48 hours to leave the country and they had to quickly pack and go without having time to see other members of the family. She noted that the thirty years she spent abroad had brought sorrow, pain and sadness among the family.

On his part, Dr Robert Michel complained that he was victimised in regards to getting security clearance to obtain further employment following his dismissal as a supply teacher at the National Youth Service (NYS), because his family did not support the one party state in power and that he had also twice turned down scholarships offered to him by government. He claimed though that through his persistence, he was able to find employment.

He clarified that in the first place his family did not want him to study in Romania and going on military training on Coetivy Island to become a pilot. He further noted that in the end he went to study medicine in Cuba for which he is very appreciative today.

On setting out his complain, Nigel Michel claimed that as the director general of finance and administration in the Ministry of Land Use and Habitat, he was kicked out from his post for no reason and without a dismissal letter. He claimed his dismissal came through the introduction in the ministry of a new minister (Jacquelin Dugasse), following a cabinet reshuffle by the then President James Michel in 2008.

He alleged that the minister verbally informed him that he (minister) and his principal secretary are accountants and they will be able to sort out all accounts issues without him. He said that he was given only part of his compensation without the three months notice payment. He further claimed that he was denied a piece of land to do his retail business while other people got theirs.

Speaking on behalf of his brother, Jean-Claude Michel, who was not present, Nigel alleged that he (Jean-Claude) was refused work as a town planner at the Planning Authority though the Authority was searching for such a candidate. He claimed that his brother was refused the job at the Planning Authority because of his outspokenness.

Going further, Dr Robert Michel alleged that their family was targeted by the state because their mother, who died on April 29, 2019, at the age of 86, was not supportive of the government and was also a Democratic Party activist.

Case 022: Olivia Vincent

Vilanel Naiken, a former police officer, appeared before the commission as a witness in two cases – Case 022: Olivia Vincent, in relation to the death of her brother, Simon Desnousse, who allegedly was blown up in a car at Anse Forbans in October 1982 along with Mike Asher, a South African bomb expert and Case 180: Cyril Lau-Tee, in relation to a plot to blow him (Lau-Tee) up in a car.

In Case 022: Olivia Vincent, Mr Naiken was named as the first person to arrive at the scene of the explosion and in Case 180: Cyril Lau-Tee, he was named as the person who took Mr Lau-Tee’s statement after other police officers had refused to do so and for that he lost his job.

As an inspector at the Anse Royale police station at that time, he said he got a call early morning on October 20, 1982 from his home, informing him of an explosion at Anse Marie Louise, where nothing was found until it became known that the explosion was at Anse Forbans. He claimed that he was accompanied by two other police officers.

He said that on arrival, he saw a car in flame with some flying debris and burnt papers everywhere outside and inside of the car. He claimed that there were also some grenades lying close to the vehicle. Looking further, he said that he saw two bodies still burning in the back seat of the vehicle. One of the bodies had a leg ripped off and was lying further away in the car. He alleged that more flames were emerging from the back of the vehicle. He said that he called and reported the incident to the commissioner of police.

Mr Naiken claimed that there were no other people other than the three of them, police officers, until he went away some fifteen to twenty minutes later, leaving the two other police officers to guard the scene. He said he understood that officers from the Police Mobile Unit took control of the scene along with an officer from the Central Investigation Department (CID).

He claimed that he learned later on the radio that the two dead persons were making bombs and they blew themselves up. He noted that from his own perspective, the two had been killed. He claimed that there was a possibility that the scene was tampered with. He added he presumed that the PMU took the bodies away.

In relation to Case 180: Cyril Lau-Tee who claimed he (Naiken) took his statement regarding a plot to assassinate him through the placing of a grenade under the seat of his car by his step brother, Emilien Rosette, who was entrusted with the mission by two persons, namely Dobin Samson, in charge of the militia at Anse Royale and William Cesar, an army officer.

Mr Naiken stated that he did take Mr Lau-Tee’s statement upon other officers refusing to do so. He said it was indeed about some people wanting to kill him and presumed that Mr Lau-Tee could have mentioned the names of those involved in his statement.

The former police inspector alleged that a friend, Tata Desaubin, once tried to frame him through getting his opinions on politics, persons and other issues going on in the force and in the country. Upon alerting some of the people concerned, these views were considered bad to the force and he (Naiken) was transferred from his post at Anse Royale to the Central Police Station. He claimed that he resigned from the force in November 1985 after being barred from getting other police officers to replace him in time of need.

Patrick Joubert