Timeline

Date set by the Court of Appeal to hear Mrs Valabhji’s appeal for bail.

Sarah Rene and Mr Valabhji plead not guilty to all charges laid to them by the ACCS in the corruption and missing $50 million case.

Mrs Valabhji attends two hearings at the Court of Appeal. Justice Samia Andre recuses herself from the case as well as Justice Fernando.

The Attorney General files a court order to destroy some of the ammunition evidence relating to the firearms and terrorism case.

The ACCS brings new charges against Mr and Mrs Valabhji in the Supreme Court that centres on a supposed false document purported to be a loan document.

The ACCS amends charges against Mr Valabji and Sarah Zarqhani René following an amendment of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act 2020 by the National Assembly.

Charges are dropped against Lekha Nair, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne and Mrs Valabhji.

The money laundering case is temporarily transferred to the Office of the Attorney General and Sarah Zarqhani René is subsequently finally released on bail.

Mr and Mrs Valabhji and Leslie Benoiton remain in prison as they are still detained on terrorism charges in the other case. This is clear evidence of the implementation of ex post defacto legislation.

All defendants in the arms, ammunition and alleged conspiracy to commit terrorism case are remanded and are due to reappear before the court on the 8th March 2022.

Frank Marie is finally released on bail, also due to reappear before the court on 8th March 2022.

Mr and Mrs Valabhji, Leslie Benoiton, Leopold Payet and Frank Marie receive a summons from the Supreme Court to answer allegations about five new offences relating to the alleged possession of arms and ammunition, which was purchased by the former government some decades earlier.

All remain held on remand as the authorities continue investigations.

A provisional plea date for the 4th March 2022 is set in the case of the missing USD 50 million.

Note: Despite urging by all defence counsel that the plea should be taken at the earliest opportunity, the plead did not take place on the 4th March 2022.

As a result of intimidation of both local and international Counsel, Mrs Valabhji is unable to find suitable legal representation and on 28 January 2022, she is compelled to represent herself as a defendant, with the case being further delayed once again due to lack of legal representation.

The next remand hearing is scheduled for 18 February 2022, 3 months since her incarceration.

Police carry out a series of searches under the authority of the Supreme Court, including the Capital Trading building at Providence.

A financial controller of the Seychelles Marketing Board (SMB) at the time of the alleged crime in 2002, is arrested on two offences; corruption and money laundering. The suspect remains unnamed as they are not charged.

Laura and Mukesh further remanded to 7 January 2022.

Formal charges are laid in relation to the money laundering offences as follows. Every defendant indited is connected to the former President, France-Albert René who was a long-standing enemy of current President Ramkalawan. The charges are based on spurious evidence.

Count 1 – Conspiracy to commit Official Corruption contrary to sections 91 and 381 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same sections of the said Penal Code: Mukesh Valabhji and Lekha Nair.

Count 2 – Conspiracy to commit Money Laundering contrary to Sections 3(1)(c) and 3(3) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing Terrorism Act, 2020, and punishable under Section 3(4) of the said Act: Mukesh Valabhji, Laura Valabhji, Andre Leslie Benoiton, and Sarah Zarqani Rene.

Count 3 – Conspiracy to commit Money Laundering contrary to sections 3(1)(a) and 3(3) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, 2020, and punishable under section 3(4) of the said Act: Mukesh Valabhji and Maurice Jean Leonard Loustau-Lalanne.

Counts 4 through 7 – Official Corruption contrary to section 91 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same section of the said Penal Code: each individually charged – Mukesh Valabhji, Lekha Nair, Andre Leslie Benoiton, and Maurice Jean Leonard Loustau-Lalanne.

Counts 8 through 11 – Money Laundering contrary to sections 3(1)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act, 2020, and punishable under section 3(4) the said Act: each individually charged: Mukesh Valabhji, Sarah Zarqani Rene, Andre Leslie Benoiton, and Laura Valabhji.

Counts 12 and 14 – Stealing by person in public service contrary to sections 253 and 265 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 265 of the said Penal Code: Mukesh Valabhji and Andre Leslie Benoiton.

Count 13 – Aiding and Abetting Stealing by person in public service contrary to section 22(c), 253, and 265 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 265 of the said Penal Code: Lekha Nair.

Counts 15 through 18– Stealing by a director of a company contrary to section 253 and 267 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 267 of the said Penal Code: Mukesh Valabhji, Maurice Jean Leonard Loustau-Lalanne.

Counts 19 through 22 – Concealment of Property contrary to section 37(c) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2016, punishable under the same section of the said Anti-Corruption Act: Mukesh Valabhji, Sarah Zarqani Rene, Andre Leslie Benoiton, and Laura Valabhjiu.

The court rules that Maurice Jean Leonard Loustau-Lalanne and Lekha Nair can be released on bail. The court sets bail for Sarah Zarqani Rene at US $2,000,000, as well as two sureties to sign a bail bond of US $1,000,000 each. Nair and Loustau-Lalanne make bail and are subsequently released. Loustau-Lalanne is required to report to the Mont Fleuri Police Station at 9am everyday.

Sarah Zarqhani René files an application before the Court of Appeal for her appeal against the bail conditions imposed on to her heard urgently. Sarah maintains that she cannot afford the $2 million that is required to grant her bail.

The accused are scheduled to reappear before the Supreme Court on December 30.

Leslie Andre Benoiton, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Seychelles Defense Force, is arrested.

A bail application is made Mr and Mrs Valabhji but is refused. The Supreme Court states that the ACCS has proven that there was a case to detain all suspects in custody. The Court denies bail on the grounds that if released on bail, they would interfere with witnesses and obstruct the course of justice the Court also indicated them as a flight risk.

The UK donates 12 new laptops and workstations to the ACCS through the British High Commissioner, Patrick Lynch.

Wavel Ramkalawan, former Leader of the Opposition and of the Seychelles National Party, is declared the winner of the presidential election.

Steven Powles QC is sworn in as a State Counsel in Seychelles. He is working with the ACCS prosecution on Mr and Mrs Valabhji’s case and is also currently working as lead counsel for the Attorney General’s office on the arms and ammunition case.

Probe into the offences, which concluded that the case could not be prosecuted due to lack of evidence.

Sarah Zarqhani René marries Albert René, then President of Seychelles.