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The principle opposition chief in Seychelles, Patrick Herminie, has been charged with witchcraft, together with seven others.
Police say the case is expounded to the invention of two our bodies exhumed from a cemetery on the island of Mahé.
He has denied the costs, telling native media that his prosecution is a “political present” to taint his picture.
Mr Herminie plans to run within the 2025 presidential election underneath the banner of the United Seychelles Social gathering (USP).
A magistrates court docket on Monday freed him and 6 of his Seychellois co-accused on bail of 30,000 Seychelles rupees ($2,100; £1,745), however dominated {that a} Tanzanian suspect ought to keep in custody till the subsequent court docket look in November.
Mr Herminie and his co-accused face a number of costs, together with possession of things supposed to be used in witchcraft, conspiracy to carry out witchcraft and procuring providers associated to witchcraft, in response to native media experiences.
Prosecutors allege that the opposition chief’s identify appeared in a WhatsApp message between a Seychellois nationwide and the Tanzanian suspect, who was arrested on 21 September on the most important worldwide airport.
The Tanzanian was discovered with gadgets associated to witchcraft, together with stones, black picket artefacts, small bottles of brownish liquid, a set of powders, and paperwork with unusual language and “demonic and satanic” symbols, they mentioned.
The paperwork had been just like these present in Catholic church buildings and different locations that had been vandalised in Mahé, Seychelles’ largest island, prosecutors additional alleged.
Mr Herminie, who served because the speaker of Seychelles’ parliament between 2007 and 2016, instructed native media that greater than 40 cops had raided his get together’s places of work within the capital, Victoria, on Friday.
He added that the officers looked for gadgets associated to witchcraft, together with “bones, physique components, and objects related to Christianity” however didn’t discover any.
Mr Herminie described his arrest as “a political present” by President Wavel Ramkalawan to “eradicate those that he is aware of will take away him from energy within the 2025 elections”, the Seychelles Information Company reported.
President Ramkalawan has not commented on the case.
Mr Herminie has mentioned he doesn’t imagine in witchcraft.
“In Seychelles’ historical past, there has by no means been till now, a political get together chief arrested for superstition and witchcraft. That is one thing new and it’s shameful for Seychelles,” he was quoted as saying.
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