Victoria — The Office of the President announced Sunday that an independent audit will be commissioned into importations reportedly facilitated through State House between 2021 and 2025, following a week of escalating public controversy and conflicting accounts that have raised serious questions about transparency and accountability during the previous administration.
The decision comes after President Patrick Herminie publicly raised concerns during his live press conference on May 7, alleging irregular importation practices under former President Wavel Ramkalawan’s administration. Those allegations, followed by heated denials and counter-accusations, have now culminated in what may become one of the most significant transparency exercises in recent political memory.
In a statement issued May 11, State House said the audit would examine “all relevant documentation, importation records, customs clearances, operational procedures, transactions, and associated processes linked to the facilitation and importation of goods through State House structures during the period under review.”
The scope of the audit will cover the years 2021 to 2025 — the entirety of Ramkalawan’s presidency.
“The Office of the President notes that the statement made yesterday by former President Wavel Ramkalawan has raised further questions than it has answered and introduced additional contradictions which now require proper clarification, verification, and independent review,” the statement read.
President Herminie’s office stressed that the audit would be conducted “with the necessary professional expertise, impartiality, and institutional rigour required to establish the full facts surrounding these matters.”
The controversy began during Herminie’s live press conference, where he alleged that State House under Ramkalawan had been involved in the importation of commodities — claims Ramkalawan has strongly rejected as politically motivated and factually incorrect.
In a counter-press conference held Sunday at the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa headquarters in Mont Fleuri, Ramkalawan described the allegations as false and accused Herminie of attempting to discredit his presidency while potentially sparking a diplomatic incident with the United Arab Emirates.
Ramkalawan explained that the products cited — including yogurts and meat — were imported by the UAE through a company called Management of the President’s Affairs UAE Pty Limited, established in 2012. He emphasized that the goods were addressed to P.O. Box 1116, Victoria, not State House, which uses P.O. Box 55.
“This is a total diplomatic embarrassment. Just because he saw the words ‘President’s Affairs’, he thought it was State House. Totally false,” Ramkalawan said, urging the government to issue a public apology to the UAE.
The former president also condemned the publication of embassy imports as a breach of diplomatic protocol.
Beyond the importation allegations, Ramkalawan accused President Herminie of attempting to gain control over independent institutions, including the judiciary, the Constitutional Appointments Authority, the National Assembly, and the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation. He warned that such actions were damaging Seychelles’ reputation and undermining democratic governance.
Ramkalawan also addressed a range of other allegations leveled against him, including claims about his bodyguards’ alleged misconduct, meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, a US $400 million airport deal with the UAE, and accusations regarding rehabilitation centre agreements and the appointment of FIU director Richard Rampal.
He dismissed allegations of theft of State House gifts, noting that items had been temporarily stored at the Rosebeliere office while preparations for a public exhibition were underway — similar to exhibitions organized under previous administrations.
“After allegations surfaced accusing me of theft, I decided to return the items to State House in good condition,” Ramkalawan said, adding that he had no knowledge of the condition in which they were later reportedly found.
Concluding his press conference, Ramkalawan expressed sadness over what he described as President Herminie’s obsession with targeting him, urging the president to focus on governing and delivering on election promises. He alleged that many commitments made for the first 100 days remained unfulfilled.
He further claimed that he was being followed by authorities, adding that many citizens were experiencing similar treatment.
The Office of the President has committed to making the audit findings, recommendations, and any proposed next steps public upon completion.
“No office, institution, or individual should ever be placed above public accountability,” President Herminie stated. “The people of Seychelles deserve clarity, truth, and confidence that the institutions of the Republic are always used in the national interest.”
Whether the audit will settle the matter or deepen the political divide remains to be seen. What is certain is that the controversy has opened a rare window into the operational practices of State House and raised fundamental questions about oversight, transparency, and the appropriate use of state resources — questions that will likely reverberate well beyond the audit’s conclusions.
