August 3, 2012 -- The United Kingdom’s new high commissioner to Seychelles is Mrs Lindsay Samantha Skoll.

She presented her credentials to President James A Michel at State House yesterday.

Mrs Skoll said after the accreditation ceremony that her priority in the post is to ensure the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution and Intelligence Coordination Centre (RAPPICC) in Seychelles becomes operational possibly by the end of the year.

The UK-funded RAPPICC will be an intelligence gathering operation that will provide evidence for the prosecution of pirates.

The memorandum of understanding for the setting up of RAPPICC was signed by President Michel and British Prime Minister David Cameron in February this year  in London.       

“What I am very much looking forward to do is getting the anti-piracy and prosecution centre in operation and more importantly getting a very good number of partnerships from across the region and the wider world to support and help finance the centre,” she said.

Mrs Skoll added that the aim is for RAPPICC to really become a centre of excellence and information sharing.