Africa-Press – Seychelles. Former Seychelles President James Michel on Friday testified before the Supreme Court via video link in an illegal firearms possession case involving prominent businessman Mukesh Valabjhi and his wife , lawyer Laura Valabjhi – an hour later than expected due to Internet connectivity reasons.
He said in his testimony before Chief Justice Rony Govinden that most of the gun import documents presented to him at the time were impeccable.
The former president, who resides in the United Arab Emirates, received an email summons to testify and was unable to appear in person in court for medical reasons.
In his testimony, he claimed that during his tenure from April 2004 to April 2016, arms and ammunition were imported into the country for use by the police and the Seychelles People’s Defense Forces.
He said there were procedures to follow to do this and that as Commander-in-Chief at the time, he was the one who gave approval. Only then was an end-user certificate issued for the weapons and ammunition to be imported.
When Stephen Powles, the prosecution’s lawyer, asked who made the payment for the weapons, he replied that he could not remember “whether it was the President’s Office, Finance or the SPDF. I was simply authorizing because the goods had already been received.”
He added that he did not give the Valahbjis any permission to possess firearms and ammunition or to keep them in their home and that he only learned that the couple had obtained them through the media until after the initial investigation into the case began.
The case concerns the seizure of more than 100 firearms and more than 35,000 cartridges at the Valabhji home in Morne Blanc on November 18, 2021.
Five people were indicted by the Supreme Court. The accused are Mukesh Valabhji and his wife Laura, Leslie Benoiton – a senior officer in the Seychelles Defense Force (SDF), Leopold Payet – a former leader of the Seychelles People’s Defense Force [the former name of the SDF] – and Frank Marie – retired lieutenant colonel and head of presidential security.
All the accused were released on bail except the Valabhji couple and Mr Benoiton.
Mukesh Valabji was also charged in a separate $50 million money laundering case with Sarah Zarqhani René, the wife of former President France Albert René.
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