A Haitian judge has issued arrest warrants for over thirty prominent figures, including many past prime ministers and presidents, who are alleged to have committed acts of corruption in the government.
The officials are accused in the warrants, which were recently issued and surfaced on social media over the weekend, of embezzling money or equipment associated with Haiti’s National Equipment Center. Especially after earthquakes, the facility oversees deploying heavy gear for jobs like cleaning rubble and constructing roadways.
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Those mentioned include former prime ministers Laurent Lamothe, Jean-Michel Lapin, Evans Paul, and Jean-Henry Céant, as well as former presidents Michel Martelly and Josephine Privert.
A request for response was made to none of the people listed in the arrest warrant, although Privert and Lapin released comments refuting the accusations.
As of now, no one has been taken into custody. There were no instant updates on the investigation’s specifics.
While the inquiry is ongoing, Judge Al Duniel Dimanche has asked that the suspects appear with him for interrogation. A comment from the judge could not be obtained right away.
It is not unusual for Haitian government officials who are charged in a criminal or civil matter to accuse courts of political persecution while ignoring arrest orders or requests for interrogation and going unpunished. Furthermore, it is uncommon for any senior Haitian official to be accused of corruption, much less go on trial for it.
Lapin claims in a statement he released that he was never formally informed of the arrest warrant, which was acquired by the local daily Le Nouvelliste. Additionally, he declared that he had never been associated with the National Equipment Center in his thirty-two years in politics.
“I have also never requisitioned or requested the use of any equipment from this institution for my personal needs or for loved ones,” he stated.
In a statement, Privert charged that the judge had acted callously and deliberately. Additionally, he said that Port-au-Court Prince’s of First Instance “has no jurisdiction over the actions taken by presidents, prime ministers and ministers in the exercise of their functions.”
The arrest order does not mention the former prime minister, Claude Joseph, but he stated he met with the judge to see if he could be of any assistance.
“No one, regardless of the position you held in the state, is above the law,” Before the encounter, he wrote on X, which was once known as Twitter. “If a judge decides to abuse his office by abusing justice, that is his business. I will not despise the justice of my country. I will be present.”
