A former Haitian ambassador and member of Haiti’s now-dissolved Transitional Presidential Council appeared before a judge this week as part of an ongoing corruption investigation involving allegations that senior officials sought hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to secure a government appointment.
Former ambassador Smith Augustin met behind closed doors with an investigating judge in Port-au-Prince on Monday. The hearing is part of a judicial inquiry into allegations that he and two other former members of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council solicited more than US$750,000 from the director of the state-owned National Bank of Credit in exchange for allowing him to retain his position.
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The allegations, first made public in October 2024 by Haiti’s anti-corruption agency, also involve former senator Louis Gérald Gilles and former investigative judge Emmanuel Vertilaire, as well as former National Bank of Credit director Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis. Haitian authorities have recommended criminal charges related to bribery and corruption. All of the accused have denied any wrongdoing.
Following the hearing, Augustin did not address reporters. However, his attorney, Mario Delcy, said the interview proceeded without incident and that his client remains willing to cooperate with investigators if further questioning is required.
The case remains pending within Haiti’s judicial system, which continues to face significant operational challenges amid the country’s ongoing political and security crisis. No trial date has been announced, and no convictions have been secured in the corruption case.
Separately, Augustin also appeared before a judge as part of the widening investigation into the 2021 assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Authorities have clarified that Augustin has not been charged or accused in that homicide investigation.
