VICTORIA, Seychelles — Chief Justice Rony Govinden on Wednesday granted bail to Leslie Benoiton, the third accused in the case of alleged illegal possession of firearms and conspiracy to commit terrorism, alongside co-accused Mukesh Valabhji and his wife Laura Valabhji. Mr Benoiton, a former senior officer in the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF), has been in custody for the past four years. The bail application of the former senior officer was lodged 17 days ago by his counsel, Basil Hoareau.
In his ruling, the Chief Justice concluded that Mr Benoiton’s continued detention was no longer justified, underscoring that constitutional and international legal principles, including Article 19 of the Constitution and European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) jurisprudence, establish bail as the rule and remand as the exception, requiring compelling, specific, and individualised reasons for continued detention. The Supreme Court found that Mr Benoiton had not caused trial delays, which were largely attributable to co-accused and case complexity, and that his stable ties to Seychelles and consistent compliance mitigated the remaining concern of flight risk.
The Supreme Court granted bail with strict conditions: he has to surrender his passport, is not allowed to leave Seychelles without court permission, has to report to the police weekly, and must maintain a contactable mobile phone. The charges of arms and terrorism against Mr Benoiton date back to November 2021. Mr Valabhji and his wife remain on remand, while Leopold Payet, former Chief of the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF), and Frank Marie, a retired lieutenant colonel and presidential chief security officer in the SPDF, have already been released on bail pending trial.
