corruption - Haiti Observer Blog

President Martelly Government Administrators Sign Agreement to Give Themselves Hefty Retirement Benefits Package

President Martelly in a move some consider illegal has granted a generous severance package to his outgoing government ministers and secretaries of state. He did not leave himself out of the bargain. This is seen as an illegal action, because he has violated the terms of the presidential decree he signed, which stipulated he not use his presidential powers by decree to order any policy unrelated to elections.

Ordinarily an act of this magnitude must be approved by Parliament. Because Parliament was disbanded due to a stubborn refusal by six opposition senators to set a date for national and municipal elections by January 12th 2015, Martelly has extended his presidential powers to award well-paid benefits to his government administrators.

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Senator Steven Benoit cried out for a new Decree recently issued by the Martelly government. The decree that appeared in The Monitor number 193 on October 8, 2015 increased the severance pay to all current Ministers and Secretary of States.

According to Steven Benoit, the new decree will give a severance pay in the amount of 2.5 Million gourdes or about $50,000 US dollars to each current Minister at the end of their duties and another 2 Million gourdes or about $40,000 US dollars to each current Secretary.

The Martelly government has appointed over 30 Secretaries and each will be entitled to this money.

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On Wednesday, July 15, at the National Palace, the President Michel Martelly met the Minister of National Education, Mr. Nesmy Manigat , the Minister of Justice, Mr. Pierre Richard Casimir, the Director General of the Unit for the Fight against Corruption (ULCC), Mr. Rodiny Jean-Baptiste and the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) Mr. Godson Orélus to take the stock of serious irregularities about the frauds and embezzlements noticed on the beneficiary fund of Universal Schooling Program Free and Compulsory (PSUGO).

An earlier investigation has suggested a much higher number of beneficiaries enrolled than the actual number of students. For example, a school in Gros Morne has 132 registered students as per PSUGO records while the actual number of such students was only 31. Similarly, a school in Carrefour with recorded 218 students, has only 45 students. Thus, thousands of US$ have been diverted by showing large numbers of fictitious students. The PSUGO pays a subsidy amount of US$ 90 per student. There are hundreds of schools located in the lower and upper Artibonite, who receive two different sources of funding for school children, from the Universal Schooling Program, Free and Compulsory (PSUGO) and the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP).

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ULCC Cracks Embezzlement Ring at PSUGO Schools. The Ministry of Education sent fraud protection group, Unity of Fight against Corruption (ULCC), to do an investigation on schools receiving money from the Universal Program Free and Compulsory (PSUGO), funded by the U.S.

They found embezzlement schemes at 100 schools, whose administrators were amassing large sums of money by inflating the number of students registered for school.

PSUGO subsidizes each registered student for $90 USD. State officials were also in on the scheme.

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The current Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Fresner Dorcin spent some rough time last Saturday. According to Newspaper Le Nouvellist, the incident took place at the home of Claudia St-Remy Champagne (Sister of Sophia St remy Martelly).

According to a source non identified source Minister of Agriculture Fresner Dorcin was insulted both physically and verbally by the famous Charles St-Remy AKA Kiko, a Heavy weight in the administration of Michel Martelly

Kiko St Remy is the Brother of the First Lady, Sophia Martelly and brother in law of current president Michel Martelly. According to the source, the incident was over a certain amount of money that was expected but not delivered. Based on a deal and an understanding between the two individuals, Minister Dorcin gave around $500,000 to Kiko St Remy who obviously was expecting much more. According to the source, Kiko expressed his dissatisfaction by hitting Minister Fresner Dorcin, sayng that he has done too much for Fresner Dorcin to be pay this amount

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I wouldn't believe it if I did not hear it straight from the person who was in charge. During an interview with Valery Numa on Vision 2000 on Friday, June 12, 2015, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Duly Brutus made some shocking revelations. However, I don't think this performance helped his case. rather, it seems like he dig his own grave.

In an attempt to bring some clarification to a recently published report from Cour Supérieure des Comptes et du Contentieux Administratif (CSCCA), former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Duly Brutus revealed an atmosphere of abuses and corruption he had to deal with at Minister of Foreign affairs. Abuses of privileges and corruption are often the norms there with people not working but receiving their checks religiously. Also abuses of telephone use, cars belonging to the Minister and gas by staff and people with connection often take place.

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The former President of the Superior Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes is in hot water for diverting state funds. According to a report made public by RNDDH, Nonie Mathieu was involved in a major scam to steal funds for office equipment worth of 37 million gourdes.

Yo samble pran Nonie Mathieu pou "Dwet long Siperye

According to the report, Ms. Mathieu submitted request for the release of funds to two questionable companies at some unbelievable costs. However, there are no records that these furnitures have been delivered.

In an inventory conducted by the Superior Court of Auditors on August 2014, the auditors found no trace of many of the items claimed to be purchased.

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Haiti found itself among the the 50 countries that receives USAID funding for 2014 but did not meet the minimum requirements set by The State Department and USAID. Don't worry, just like the other countries, Haiti is considered to be at risk of political devastation and strategic consequences if the funding is stopped and as a consequence will continue to receive aid as usual.

Kreyol Pale, Kreyol Kompran!

Gouvernman Amerikin bay 50 payi lajan kom aid, min li pa kapab di tout sa payi sa yo fè ak lajan sa. Ayiti se yonn nan payi sa yo. Min pou ki sa Amerikin pa koupe aid sa yo, se paske li panse si aid sa yo koupe, ka payi sa yo ape pi tris

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As per news dated March 7th, 2015, the Organization of American States (OAS) has confirmed that the government of Haiti has agreed to accept an on-site visit as part of the Fifth Round follow-up mechanism on the implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC). Haiti notified its decision to the MESICIC Technical Secretariat in accordance with the Methodology for Conducting On-site Visits. Haiti also consented to and received an on-site visit during the Fourth Round of Review. The MESICIC Committee of Experts will review the condition of the implementation of the provisions as per Article III, paragraphs 3 and 12 of the Inter-American Convention against corruptions, which speak about the instructions given to the concerned government officials for proper execution of the entrusted responsibility, corruption preventive measures undertaken as per the program, equitable compensation and probity in public service. Fifth Round of the Mechanism for Follow-up on the Implementation of (MESICIC) of the OAS would begin in March, this year.

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U.S. State Department has issued its Fiscal Transparency Report (FTR) for 2014. The report analyzes governments' transparency in the preparation of their budgets, for them to qualify to receive foreign aid. However there are some countries that are still recipients of U.S. aid despite not meeting fiscal transparency criterion. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was given $46.9 billion from the Treasury for the 2014 fiscal year. A total of 50 nations failed in 2014 to meet the minimum standards of budget transparency.

Haiti continues to receive U.S. aid because its circumstances are direst among poor countries in the western hemisphere. According to Executive Director Bob Perito of consultancy company, The Perito Group, Haiti is bereft of education and health systems. It also has neither a sanitation system nor running water.

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