In a new chapter of the assassination of the president of Haiti Jovenel Moïse, which shocked the country and the world, the investigating judge Walther Wesser Voltaire formally charged Martine Moïse, his widow; to former Prime Minister Claude Joseph and former Police Director Léon Charles, in a report published on February 19. Another 50 people are also charged.
More than two and a half years of investigations. The investigating judge Walther Wesser Voltaire has issued a 122-page order; The text includes accusations against the widow of the late president, Martine Moïse; former Prime Minister Claude Joseph and former police director Léon Charles, among dozens of other defendants.
According to the magistrate, there is evidence that supports the responsibilities of the accused. The judicial decisions mark an important step in the investigation of Moïse's murder, providing a legal framework to judge the alleged involvement of the accused.
The criminal court will be the scene where accusations of murder, complicity and other charges will be elucidated, based on the alleged actions of the accused. This legal development adds to the complex plot of the case, which has maintained international attention since the tragic event.
Martine Moïse, among those named
Martine Moïse is among the accused, along with Christian Emmanuel Sanon, described as the “mastermind” of the plot. Judge Voltaire has decided not to file criminal charges against most of the defendants named in a parallel indictment in Miami, citing the principle of double jeopardy.
However, the charge remains against Sanon, a Haitian-American pastor, for allegedly plotting a coup d'état that led to Moïse's assassination.
In the Haitian accusation, Sanon is named as the “intellectual author” along with Joseph Félix Badio, a former government consultant. The order highlights that Martine Moïse refused to participate in interrogations about the murder and that her statements have had contradictions.
Voltaire also dismissed a civil lawsuit filed by Martine Moïse in October 2021 related to the murder of her husband. The judge is now seeking to have those not yet in prison detained, although Haitian law allows those persecuted to file appeals, which could prolong the process.
Accusations against former Haitian officials
The accused also include Claude Joseph, former prime minister, and Léon Charles, former police chief, who, according to Voltaire, had an “active participation” in the events that led to Moïse's shocking death.
The events occurred when Moïse was shot dead inside his home during the night, while Joseph and Charles were on duty. Voltaire points out that these two former officials, along with eight other former government officials or allies of the former president, played a crucial role in the events that led to the tragic event.
Claude Joseph alleges that interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry, whom he sees as the main beneficiary of the July 7 coup that resulted in Moïse's assassination, is using the judicial system to persecute political opponents.
He described the situation as a “classic coup d'état” and affirmed that the Haitian people will not allow themselves to be distracted. Joseph expressed his determination to continue fighting against a government that, according to him, has been harming the Haitian people, and demanded the resignation of Ariel Henry, whom he considers responsible for the failures in the management of the country.
The investigation describes the response of Charles, the former police chief, as “reckless” upon receiving a distress call from Moïse, without diligent efforts to send reinforcements. The possible impact on Charles's role as Haiti's representative to the Organization of American States is unclear.
Joseph, then prime minister, is singled out for declaring that everything was under control while Moïse's assassins caused chaos. The investigation reveals that, concerned for his safety, Joseph summoned Charles to arrange for his protection even when the president was in danger.
Joseph, a protest leader against Henry, sees these accusations as an attempt to “turn the Haitian justice system” against him.
Advances in research continue
Haitian authorities initially arrested 44 people, including 20 Colombian citizens, 19 Haitian police officers and four plainclothes individuals, in connection with the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse. The Colombians, detained in the operation, have denied knowing who was responsible for the murder and have expressed doubts about the first lady's injuries during the attack.
Judge Voltaire's conclusions are based on numerous interrogations and his visit to the crime scene with FBI agents. According to Voltaire, it became clear that the first lady could not have hidden under the bed, as he had previously claimed.
In the parallel investigation in the United States, five of the 11 defendants pleaded guilty, facing life in prison for conspiring to assassinate the president. Tampa businessman Frederick Bergmann also recently pleaded guilty, with a maximum sentence of ten years.
Despite progress in the US investigation, unknowns remain, including the whereabouts of the weapon used in the murder. Furthermore, while US investigators traced a $175,000 loan to CTU Security, a security company in Miami that paid the Colombians, in Haiti it is still unknown who may have financed the coup. The collaboration of Haitian private banks has been non-existent.
Violence in Haiti has not let up in the last two years, after the assassination of Moïse. Armed gangs have had a devastating impact on the nation: with one Haitian killed every two hours, 17 injured a day and 40 kidnapped a month, the situation has reached alarming proportions.
With AP and local media
#Assassination #Jovenel #Moïse #widow #people #formally #involved #case