The primary opposition leader in Seychelles, Patrick Herminie, faces charges of witchcraft, a situation that has also entangled seven other individuals.
Patrick Herminie rubbishes witchcraft charges as political ploy
As reported by BBC News, the charges stem from an incident where two bodies were unearthed from a cemetery on Mahé island.
Herminie has refuted the charges, deeming the prosecution a “political show” aimed at smearing his reputation.
Slated to contest in the 2025 presidential election representing the United Seychelles Party (USP), Herminie, alongside six Seychellois co-accused, was granted bail on Monday by a magistrates court, each posting 30,000 Seychelles rupees (est. R44 715 on Tuesday, 3 October 2023).
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However, a Tanzanian suspect implicated in the case remains in custody, awaiting a court appearance in November 2023.
The array of charges facing Herminie and his co-accused include possession of witchcraft-related items, conspiracy to perform witchcraft, and procuring witchcraft services.
Details emerge on the evidence against Herminie
These charges are corroborated by messages exchanged on WhatsApp, where Herminie’s name purportedly emerged in a conversation between a Seychellois national and the Tanzanian suspect, who was apprehended on 21 September 2023 at the main international airport.
The Tanzanian suspect was reportedly found in possession of items associated with witchcraft, like stones, black wooden artefacts, small bottles containing a brownish liquid, powders, and documents bearing what are described as “demonic and satanic” symbols.
Prosecutors allege that similar documents were discovered in vandalised Catholic churches and other locations within Mahé, the largest island in Seychelles.
Previously holding the position of Seychelles’ parliament speaker from 2007 to 2016, Herminie reported that over 40 police officers conducted a search in his party’s offices in Victoria, the capital, last Friday, looking for witchcraft-related items, including “bones, body parts, and objects associated with Christianity”, though none were found.
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He has termed his arrest as a manoeuvre by President Wavel Ramkalawan to sideline potential threats to his power in the upcoming 2025 elections, a claim reported by the Seychelles News Agency.
There has been no comment from President Ramkalawan regarding this case.
In a statement, Herminie professed his disbelief in witchcraft and emphasised the unprecedented nature of his arrest, marking it a shameful chapter in Seychelles’ political history.
“This is something new and it is shameful for Seychelles,” he asserted.