Embezzlement: Former Seychelles’ government official sentenced to 18 months in prison and repayment of funds

The Supreme Court of Seychelles (Judiciary)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Former Agency for Social Protection (ASP) chief executive Marcus Simeon, 42, received an 18-month sentence on January 15 from the Supreme Court of Seychelles, following a case brought by the government.

Simeon, suspended from his duties in September 2020, pleaded guilty to embezzling SCR1.6 million ($ 118,816) and unlawfully acquiring public funds from the ASP to his personal bank accounts.

Justice David Esparon presided over the sentencing, ordering Simeon to return the entire amount within five years of his release from prison, in addition to the already returned SCR66,000 ($4,900).

Simeon, a married father of two, whose wife is pregnant with their third child, is now working as an accountant, according to the court judgement.

“The Court has considered all the mitigating factors put forward by the Counsel…namely that the offender is of good character and that he is first offender, thereby not wasting the time of the Court of which he has pleaded guilty at the first reasonable opportunity at the very start of the proceedings in the matter. The Court has also considered the family situation of the offender as well as that he has showed remorse for the commission of the offence,” said the statement.

The judge also considered the fact that Simeon had started to repay the money he embezzled.