The Seychelles government has declined to disclose whether the country owes money to the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).
The issue arose during Tuesday’s sitting of the National Assembly. Vice-President Sebastien Pillay responded on behalf of Finance, Economic Planning, Trade and Investment Minister Pierre Laporte, who was absent.
Leader of the Opposition Bernard Georges asked whether the government could confirm that the US$50 million Seychelles received from ADFD in 2002 was a loan and not a grant, as publicly reported until now.
Mr Georges also asked when ADFD informed Seychelles that the funds constituted a loan and that it wanted repayment. In addition, he sought details of the repayment conditions and asked how much the loan, including interest, was worth after 23 years.
In response, Mr Pillay said the matter was sub judice and therefore before the courts.
“Madam Speaker, the question asked by the honourable this morning is a question that is before the court. And the subject before the court is a question which is sub judice,” he said.
The statement prompted a debate in the chamber. The National Assembly then took a 15-minute technical adjournment.
After proceedings resumed, Speaker Azarel Ernesta ruled that the question could not proceed.
“I actually find the question to be sub judice. There are elements in it that concern a case that is actually in court. There are possibilities that if I allow more questions, we may be going against our own rules and prejudice the case,” Mrs Ernesta said.
The Assembly therefore disallowed the question.
The development has renewed attention on an alleged multi-million-dollar debt that remains unresolved despite repeated correspondence from ADFD.
Documents reviewed by Victoria Scope show that the lender has urged Seychelles authorities to address what it describes as outstanding obligations linked to a 2002 loan agreement.
According to the documents, ADFD records showed an amount due of over US$85 million by mid 2026, including principal and interest.
The documents raise questions about how authorities managed the liability, whether they made provisions for repayment, and what effect any settlement could have on public finances.
As of publication, the government had not made any public declaration on the matter despite the size of the claim and its potential implications for the country’s finances.