21 to be tried for treason

Press, 4 May 1978, Page 9

21 to be tried for treason

NZPA-Reuter Victoria, Seychelles Twenty-one people are to be charged with treason in connection with a suspected coup plot in the Indian Ocean island group, the Seychelles, the public prosecutor has said in the capital, Victoria. They were arrested in week-end police raids which uncovered several arms caches after a tip-off that a coup would be attempted during President Albert Rene’s present visit to China, according to the Interior Ministry. According to the Ministry, a former President, Mr James Mancham, and three former Cabinet Ministers were involved in the plot. Mr Rene came to power in a bloodless coup 11 months ago which ousted President Mancham. The prosecutor Mr Bernard Rasool, said yesterday that those arrested had conspired together to instigate an armed invasion of the Seychelles and would be charged with treason, a capital offence. The hearing came after moves by two lawyers representing eight of those arrested because they had been held for more than 24 hours without being charged. An Interior Ministry statement on Saturday said several large arms caches had been discovered, and added that a boat-load of mercenaries was ready to sail from the Kenyan port of Mombasa in an attempt to overthrow the Seychelles Government. Kenyan port officials told reporters in Nairobi that they found it impossible to believe there was such a boat in Mombasa, as all vessels entering the port were carefully checked and registered.