Sri Lankan-born attorney Vincent Perera was sworn in as the new Attorney General of Seychelles at the State House on Wednesday, it was reported.

According to Seychelles News Agency, Perera said, “Together with my team, I will pledge that I will be contributing to the best of my abilities to see that the rule of law in this beautiful country is upheld.”

He revealed that “there are changes in the system we operate that I intend to bring through my experience of working in other jurisdictions, so I have to beef up the prosecutors with the necessary skills.”

This will include the necessary training to ensure that they are one step ahead of criminals and that “together we shall ensure that guilt shall not escape, nor innocent suffer,” he said.

The Attorney General’s Office has the mandate of providing the government with legal advice and is the country’s criminal prosecution service. It is also responsible for ensuring legal footing when the government signs international treaties, conventions and agreements as well as other complex contracts the government enters.

Sri Lanka-born Perera is qualified as an attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, barrister and solicitor of Fiji and an accredited mediator at the Singapore Mediation Centre.

He also holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Colombo and before he was appointed Attorney General, Perera was working at the Seychelles’ Attorney General’s Office as a legal consultant heading civil litigation.

Perera said that he will be studying the issue of case backlogs in the system.

“When I come to know the statistics, I will devise a system, because I have the experience in clearing backlogs,” he added.

Perera will be holding office for the coming four years, replacing Frank Ally, who has held the post since October 2017. (Newswire/ Seychelles News Agency)

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The national carriers of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Seychelles have teamed up for a codeshare partnership, ushering in seamless travel to multiple new destinations.

The codeshare partnership between SriLankan Airlines and Air Seychelles will provide travel to multiple new destinations throughout Asia, Africa and Australia for their passengers flying between Colombo and Mahé.

Issuing a statement, SriLankan Airlines said the collaboration empowers the Airline to amplify its position and reach in Africa and passengers of the airline to travel conveniently between Colombo and Mahé twice a week. 

For Air Seychelles, over 20 destinations are included in the partnership, which includes much-requested destinations such as Sydney and Melbourne in Australia and other popular stops in India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

SriLankan Airlines announced that travellers can book their flights starting in May 2024. (Newswire)

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The Seychelles Supreme Court has convicted a Sri Lankan national to a fine of US$ 41,000 after being found guilty of illegally fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters, it was reported.

According to Seychelles News Agency, the police said on Wednesday that Makavita Liyanage Dilesh, 43, was the person in charge of the vessel Rankurulla 4 that was intercepted and arrested in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on November 24 last year.

The presiding judge in the case took into consideration that the accused pled guilty and did not waste the court’s time. The convict is a married man with two children still at school and his family depends on his revenue to survive.

The Sri Lankan national revealed to the Court that the fish they caught was taken and sold for a sum of SCR 35,320 which was collected by the Seychelles Fishing Authority.

The fine is payable within 60 days if not, the convict will do a term of 18 months in prison.

Meanwhile, earlier this month 18 foreign vessels were intercepted and arrested in the Seychelles’ EEZ among which was a vessel from Sri Lanka, carrying eight crew members.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has a vast Exclusive Economic Zone of 1.4 million square kilometres which presents a challenge when it comes to monitoring illegal activities in the island nation’s waters. (NewsWire)

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The Sri Lankan fishing trawler with 6 crew onboard which was hijacked by Somali pirates, has been rescued, the Fisheries Department said. 

According to the Director General of the Fisheries Department, the Sri Lankan vessel has been rescued during a joint operation by the Seychelles Coast Guard and the Sri Lanka Navy.

The Director General further said that three Somali pirates had been apprehended during the operation.

The rescued Sri Lankan trawler is being escorted to the Victoria Harbour in Seychelles.  

The Sri Lankan fishing trawler with six crew members was captured by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea on Saturday (Jan 27).

It was reported that the multi-day vessel that was captured had departed from the Chilaw Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour on January 12, 2024. (NewsWire)

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