Law change reflects pledge to counter piracy – minister
Moves this week to amend the Penal Code prove the government’s commitment to countering piracy, Minister Joel Morgan has said.
He was speaking on Tuesday in the National Assembly when presenting the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, which will define the action of piracy and empower the attorney-general to prosecute offences regardless of whether they are committed in or outside Seychelles.
The Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Transport – who also heads the High-Level Committee on Piracy – said the amendments update an English law that goes back to 1843.
Explaining why they are necessary, Mr Morgan said there is a need to step up measures to counter piracy. He said the situation is getting worse with up to 10 attacks by suspected pirates around Seychelles’ exclusive economic zone in the last 10-12 days.
He said it was essential that certain laws should be amended so as to try suspected pirates as the existing laws were not well suited to the current situation.
The amended law, he said, includes a number of provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The changes also give courts in Seychelles the power to impose a punishment of 30 years in prison and a fine of R1 million on a person who commits the offence of piracy, or who attempts or conspires to commit piracy.
Members who spoke on the Bill at Tuesday’s sitting included the leader of government business Marie-Louise Potter, leader of the opposition Wavel Ramkalawan, Bernard Georges, Anthony Derjacques, Collin Dyer, Wilby Lucas and Jean-François Ferrari.
Members of the opposition expressed their fear that with these amendments Seychelles might become a dumping ground for pirates.
They argued that Seychelles is not ready to cater for the large numbers of pirates who may be caught and brought here, saying the prison at Montagne Posée is not of a high enough standard to take such convicts.
Members of the Parti Lepep said the amendments empower the Seychelles courts to take appropriate action over any act of piracy. They said Seychelles is now ready and more committed to working together with international partners to bring prosecutions.
During Tuesday’s sitting, a motion by André Pool of the Parti Lepep asking the assembly to ratify the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union was deferred.
Mr Ramkalawan presented a motion asking President James Michel to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the water pollution at La Misère. The motion was defeated.