Haiti Corruption - Haiti Observer Blog

Judge Al Duniel Dimanche who is in the process of investigating possible embezzlement of several million dollars at the National Insurance Office (ONA) has ordered the arrest of former President Rene Preval. The Former Director General of ONA, Sandro Joseph, has been accused of corruption, embezzlement, forgery and conspiracy. After a request to appear was ignored by Rene Preval, now an arrest warrant has been issued.

Other people involved in the criminal investigation include: senators Andris Riche, Senator Jacques Sauveur Jean, Senator Edwin Zeny and the Minister of Education Jean Beauvoir Dorsonne

In another way, Former President Rene Preval can be picked-up anytime and put in jail

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The Candidate for Deputation, Mr. Gerald Jean, is not a happy customer and like many unhappy customer, he has decided to do something about it by puting everything out in the open.

According to the Candidate for Ferrier/Les Perches, Gerald Jean, he paid $15,000 US dollars in person to CEP member Yolette Mengual for a seat as Deputy. This accusation was revealed on "Vision 2000 a L'ecoute" show on Radio Vision 2000 with Valery Numa. Although this revelation can get him in a lot of trouble such as being involved in corruption by paying for an elected position; however, he feels that he must show to the public the CEP and the BCEN for what they really are, two institutions that are marred in corruption.

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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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Based on a latest perceived corruption report by Transparency International, Haiti's score improved, ranking 165 out of 176 countries. Its current position is better than last year's 175th place. The index of corruption perception, which used a scale between 0 (highly corrupt) and 100 (very clean), gave Haiti a score of 19. Though the Caribbean nation's score improved by 10 places, it still has the highest corruption perception in the region.

Given the result, the Haiti government reiterated its call to all sectors to team up in fighting corruption. During a ceremony marking the 10th International Day of Fight Against Corruption, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe stressed that every sector in the government must fulfill its role in the crusade against this crime. He said that the Haiti government would continue to hold its commitment to fighting the crime, adding that Haiti will remain implementing the National Strategy for Fight Against Corruption. He also called on the State, the private business sector and civil society players to come together and participate in this campaign.

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Is this a case of corruption when 11 members of Inite party are engaged in consulting jobs? Some how I did not know it was so easy to get a job in Haiti.

The RNDDH reported that several current Haitian Parliamentarians were being paid as consultants from October 2010 at the Ministry of Interior. All were members of the Inite Platform. According to the report, these are the same people who were responsible to fight corruption.

"Rat Kay Kap Mange Poul Kay"

Based on the report issued by RNDDH, except for one, all Deputies Under Inite Platform were receiving Monthly salary of 100,000 gourdes, each.

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