Ongoing murder trial of Frenchman Thomas Débâtisse   Nurse Marcia Felix, former surveillance officer Desiré Léon cross examined   |23 February 2022

Employed by Club Med Seychelles as a nurse, Marcia Felix gave an account of what happened and what she saw on April 27, 2021 after receiving a call for emergency attendance to a client in room 2027.

The witness certified that the call came from receptionist Mandy Ernesta. At the time of the call, nurse Felix said she was on her way to the Covid-19 quarantine area with the doctor on site and they were discussing new Covid-19 protocols.

The doctor who was accompanying her at the time was a French national on a forensic mission for three weeks.

She added that as soon as she got the call she quickly departed to the infirmary to collect the emergency equipment.

While she was there, a sports instructor who worked at the hotel, named Guillaume, called her to inform her of the emergency.

Ms Felix stated that she made arrangements with the doctor to meet in front of his room, to attend to the emergency.

The nurse affirmed that she reached room 2027 around 8pm where she met Guillaume outside the room. She explained that Guillaume guided her inside the room as the door was already ajar.

When she was inside she saw that Charles, a fitness instructor at the resort, was already massaging the heart of the victim, Emmanuelle Badibanga, who was on the bathroom floor.

Ms Felix attested that the legs of the victim were sprawled in the bathroom lobby whereas her head was at the entrance of the bedroom.

She noted that the cardiac monitor was already attached to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The witness also added that Thomas Débâtisse was present, next to Charles and the bathtub. She accounted that there were three people in the bathroom – Mr Débâtisse, Charles and the victim. Ms Felix said that Mr Débâtisse was crying and in emotional distress.

She asked Charles what had happened, and he relayed that he heard screaming for help and that the victim was not responsive.

She added that Charles said the boyfriend, Débâtisse, found the victim hanged but she did not ask where.

Ms Felix stated that she checked the pupil of the victim and it had no reaction, so she called for oxygen to be brought to the room.

She said the victim had no pulse rate, slightly blue lips, and a mark on the left side of her neck.

She explained that they continued to perform cardiac massage and then she called 151, the emergency helpline, but was informed that they could not assist by coming to the island and that she should bring the victim to Mahé.

She informed 151 that she could not transport the victim due to the condition she was in.

A doctor from Euro Medical Family Clinic which had an agreement with Club Med Seychelles, took an emergency boat and arrived on the island at 8.30pm to help Ms Felix.

The doctor reached the room at around 8.35pm and upon his examination, he pronounced Emmanuelle Badibanga dead at 8.42pm.

The witness said she immediately called the Central Police Station for assistance and they transferred her call to the Mont Fleuri police station and the police arrived on scene around 10.20pm.

For his part, Desiré Léon said he was working at the resort on April 27, 2021 between the hours of 7.45am till 8pm. His job was to monitor the cameras and fire alarm system in the control room. Mr Léon stated that on that day there were a few alarms that triggered. He said that the alarm in a specific location kept triggering and they had to call the maintenance unit. A foreigner working as security officer first checked the alarm on that side. Mr Léon said at that time, the only Seychellois officer there was Denis Marie. He stated that he moved Mr Marie from where he was to zone 6 and moved the other officer to the zone where the alarm kept triggering. The witness said that the alarm that kept triggering was in an empty store like room near the ‘zenn’ kitchen.

Mr Léon also said they did not encounter any other issues on that particular day.

On April 28, 2021, Mr Léon said he worked the 8am to 8pm and was briefed by the officer who was present the night before that someone had died.

He stated that later in the afternoon police officers came to the control room to enquire about the camera system. 

In total he said there are 144 cameras in operation with three cameras near the Robinson’s restaurant that are not functioning.

The former surveillance officer said when the police officers came they chose which camera footage they needed and he provided them with it on a hard drive. He stated that he did not choose which camera footage to give them. The downloaded time to hand over the footage was two days.

Mr Leon said he also handed over a copy of the camera footages to the defence lawyers sometimes in May 2021.

He also said a copy of the footage was still on the computer in the control room.

To note, Mr Léon stated that he did not hand over all the video footage but only what the police officers had requested.

The witness said it takes about one month for the system to overwrite due to space capacity.

Defence lawyer Basil Hoareau stated that on April 27, 2021, the video footage of a particular camera facing a mural, retrieved by the police, only starts at 7.30pm onwards and does not cover the whole day.

Cross examination of the witnesses is expected to continue this afternoon.

Marla Siméon