Patrick Herminie, the head of Seychelles’ main opposition party, was today charged on suspicion of “witchcraft”. The leader of the United Seychelles Party was arrested at his party headquarters on Friday and his office was searched. He was released on bail after appearing in court today.
After his arrest, Herminie said that for him it was “a decision that came directly from the presidency”, Head of State Wavell Ramkalawan. Herminie is a candidate for the 2025 presidential election.
“Unnatural and superstitious” behaviour.
Herminie was charged along with six other Seychelles and a Tanzanian national as part of an investigation that began into “witchcraft” and “unnatural and superstitious” acts.
The investigation relates to the discovery in August of the bodies of an elderly woman and a young man in a cemetery on the main island of Mahe.
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The name of Herminie, who was Speaker of the National Assembly from 2007 to 2016, was found on the phone of the Tanzanian citizen who was arrested at Seychelles International Airport late last September.
According to the Seychelles News Agency, he was carrying, among other things, stones, small bottles containing a brown liquid, a variety of powders, and a number of documents containing language and symbols described as satanic.
According to prosecutors, the symbols found in these documents are similar to those found at desecrated sites throughout the archipelago, especially Catholic churches.
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