corruption - Haiti Observer Blog

This is something that you can expect to be big in the next several day.

Lawyer André Michel who filed the corruption complaint against First Lady Sophia Martelly and her son Olivier Martelly was arrested in Martissant

The arrest came after the Human Rights Lawyer André Michel parked his car near a police sub-station in Martissant. He had requested the presence of his attorney. As a large crowd began to protest the arrest, an impressive detachment of CIMO agents barricaded the police station in Martissant not to allow anyone to enter and did not take time to start firing tear gas on the crowd. Subsequently, André Michel was taken away.

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Claude Raymond Jr., a Martelly appointee, was recently installed as Director General of the Office of Immigration and Emigration (OIE), along with eight other Director Generals in September. Martelly, speaking at the induction ceremony, issued a challenge to the new officials, saying they could only ". . . deserve his confidence . . . " by living up to what the Haitian people asked of them as public servants.

Claude Raymond Jr., succeeded in losing Martelly's confidence almost immediately. Not long after his installation, he was detained by Dominican Republic police with a $3 million dollar stash, concealed in an envelope. Someone in the OIE had secret information about the embezzlement, and reported it to the Senate. Senator François Anick ordered an inspection of all briefcases conducted, passing between the borders of Caribbean countries.

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The narrative of Haiti's first family being investigated on corruption charges has just taken a new twist in an ever-widening net of conspirators plotting Martelly's downfall. Human rights attorney, Andre Michel, is representing Enold Florestal, a citizen who filed the complaint, accused First Lady, Sophia Martelly, and son, Oliver Martelly, with embezzlement of government funds. Florestal was arrested for his part in the killing of Frantzy Duverseau three years ago.

Michel claims Martelly government proxies bribed Florestal to withdraw the complaint. But he refused, and Judge Lamarre Belizaire, new on the case, pursued Florestal, and had him arrested. An outpouring of public condemnation against Belizaire made his task difficult. But he finally swore out a warrant to capture Florestal and his brother, Josue, incarcerating them for Duverseau's death.

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Here is the press conference conducted by the two U.S. Doctors at Hospital Bernard Mevs on Sunday July 14, 2013, following the sudden death of Judge Jean Serge Joseph. Contradicting rumors suggesting that the judge had been poisoned or assassinated, the doctors confirmed that the death came as a result of a stroke.

According to Dr. Vencent Degennaro, Judge Jean Serge Joseph was in very bad condition by the time he was brought to the Hospital as a result of a massive stroke. The Haitian judge arrived at the Hospital at 3:00 am on Sunday and died at 8:00 pm on the same day.

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Miami is home to one of the biggest populations of the Haitian Diaspora, 30% of North Miami's residents. Créole is the primary and perhaps only language they speak. When candidates run for office in North Miami, they depend on Haitian radio to present themselves to listeners.

The Haitian community in North Miami does not have access to media, such as public access TV. If a community newspaper exists, illiteracy among them keeps information undigested. What is left for those voters is Haitian radio.

Haitian radio hosts exercise unbridled influence. What they say--whether true or not--is received by their Créole-speaking audience as God's truth. At its best, Haitian radio keeps listeners abreast of local council developments, at its worse, conversations devolve into race baiting and political name-calling.

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It has been reported that the Director-General of ONA, Bernard Degraff, spent a rough time today. Director of the ONA Bernard Degraff was in the Haitian Senate on Monday to answer charges of frauds and corruption. he was asked directly by the Chairman of the Committee of Security and Justice Haitian Senate, Pierre Francky Excius, to resign his post.

Direktè Jeneral la nan ONA, Bernard DeGraff, te pase yon tan ki graj jodi a. Direktè a ONA te nan Sena ayisyen a pou li te reponn akizasyon frod ak koripsyon. Prezidan Komite Sekirite ak Jistis, Pierre Francky Excius, mande Bernard DeGraff pou li bay demisyon li.

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A major Canadian Daily newspaper and online publisher, TheStar.com, has reported that a powerful ally of the Haitian government made damaging allegation about the government. The lead singer of the popular music band RAM and the owner of the historic hotel in port-au-Prince Hotel Oloffson, Richard Morse, told the newspaper that he left the government because of corruption and infrastructure sabotage.

According to TheStar.com, Richard Morse stated: " I saw proof of workers filling drainage canals just before the rainy season, which resulted in flooding. He also said: "If you are creating disasters, it can only be for aid money," . In addition, he stated that he has seen evidence of "fake cheques, people getting paid who no longer worked there."

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This came as a shock and a surprise to the Haitian community in Spring Valley. In April 2013, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph A. Desmaret were arrested Tuesday April 4, 2013 by FBI agents for their alleged involvement in the sale of a land that was supposed to be used for a community center.

This was staged by FBI agents. According to the assistant director of the FBI, George Venizelos, Spring Valley Mayor Noramie Jasmin and Deputy Mayor Joseph A. Desmaret were involved in conning some members of the village's board of trustees to vote for a developer, that Jasmin had a financial stake in the sale.

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Richard Morse, former Special Envoy for Political Affairs in the Martelly government, quit in January 2012. He gave no explanation then, but has now agreed to talk about it.

He said he resigned due to endemic corruption within Martelly's administration. Morse, Martelly's cousin, related how he attempted to get investigations started on two occasions without success. Working at the National Palace, he saw proof of officials' malfeasance. Many of them were collecting paychecks, although no longer on the government payroll. Morse also discovered public-works laborers pouring water into run-off ditches just before Haiti's storm season. The reason was self-evident to Morse: "If you are creating disasters, it can only be for aid money." Morse reported the criminal acts to government authorities, who blatantly ignored him, much to his distress.

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Jean Dominique spent his early career first educating farmers on how to be self-sufficient under the thumb of wealthy land-owners. He then went on to making two notable firsts in the broadcasting world, opening the first film club in Haiti as well as Radio Haiti, the first station to broadcast in Creole. He went on to have multiple run-ins with the Duvalier regiments and was exiled in New York until his return in the mid 80's when he became a member of the Lavalas party which won the 1990 election.

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