Finance ministry denies corruption claims |02 February 2010

Colin Jean-Louis, legal adviser to Finance Minister Danny Faure, has written a letter to the editor of Regar in which the true facts surrounding the case of Serge Lablache are given.
 
A copy of the letter has been sent to the Seychelles Nation and the full text reads as follows:
“I write in my capacity as legal adviser to the Minister for Finance, Mr Danny Faure.

“In your issue of January 29, 2010, you carried an article headlined ‘Corruption at the highest level’ on your front page and proceeded on Page 3 to state that the minister ‘yields to corruption’ – both articles alleging that the minister had used his ‘authority’ to reduce the fine of a merchant who had violated price control regulations, seemingly for political considerations.

“I am seeking public redress to your erroneous articles by asking you to publish this letter in a suitably prominent position on the front page of your next issue.

“Firstly, I would like to point out that the ‘authority’ you refer to is in fact the discretionary power that the Minister for Finance has in considering such appeals that come to him.

“You also leave the reader with the impression that the case shows interference with the judiciary, when IN FACT the court had NOT YET given a decision on the case, since it was customary in such cases to encourage parties to seek a settlement out of court.

“The case of Mr Serge Lablache, which is stated in your article, is just one of many such price control cases that have come to the minister and that have been considered favourably, resulting in a reduction of the fine.

“In this particular case, it was felt that since we were moving towards drastic reform and liberalisation of the economy, it was fair and timely to reduce the penalty concerned, and that in no way should such a decision on the part of the minister be interpreted as corrupt or distributing favours.

“May I add that it is in the very same spirit that the minister, using the same discretionary powers as in the case you have cited, waived the social security penalty surcharge in 2007 against Messrs George, St Ange and Ferrari for the amount of R271,000.

“Using the same discretionary powers, the minister from 2007 to the end of 2008 reduced the import duty for MNAs (of both parties) on imported cars from 200% to 50%, in consideration of the role they play in the country.

“In seeking this redress, the ministry reserves the right, should you refuse to act as requested above, to consider any steps necessary to seek redress from you.”

Colin Jean-Louis,
Legal Adviser,
Ministry of Finance