Money Laundering - Haiti Observer Blog

This is supposed to take place today, August 13. The time is 10:00am. The place: before judge Lamarre Belizaire. Former President Jean Bertrand Aristide has a date with the Judge to respond to several charges against him. It covers a period between 2001 and 2004.

Former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide has some serious charges against him, including corruption, money laundering, misappropriation of millions of dollars in public funds, criminal conspiracy and others.

Can all these court hearings lead to the eventual incarceration of former President Jean Bertrand Aristide?

Pawol Pale, Pawol komprann...

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Civil court judge Raymond Jean Michel reported the former Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, has three major accusations against him. The charges are money laundering, corruption and illicit drug trafficking.

He has been banned by judge Lamarre Belizaire from leaving Haiti as the probe is going on. Beside Jean Bertrand Aristide, several key people in his administrations also can't leave the country

According to the report, this investigation covers a long period of time, starting in 2005. It has been said that during the Government of Jean Bertrand Aristide, millions of dollars had been misappropriated from Public fund in Haiti.

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The U.S. State Department has issued its 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. In it are named several Caribbean countries considered major centers of money laundering. High on the list of those countries involved in illicit money transactions are Antigua, Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, and Haiti.

The CARICOM countries listed are not exclusive to international drug trafficking and money laundering. The U.S., Europe, Canada, and Latin America are also major centers of money laundering activities. In other words, it is a world-wide phenomenon.

The report details the actions of almost 90 countries to decrease the manufacturing of narcotics, its transport, and use, along with money laundering and other blue-collar and white-collar financial crimes. The problem with trying to apprehend drug traffickers is the sophistication of money laundering operations that obscure what proceeds are from drug trafficking, and what are from other types of financial crime. Furthermore, financial institutions that handle accounts set up for illicit financial schemes are also prey to money laundering involving the sale of narcotics.

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Once the text sanctioning Money Laundering and terrorist financing is promulgated by the President Michel Martelly in the official gazette, all financial institutions, companies, economic enterprises, non-financial, social, professional, religious, humanitarian, international organizations, will be required to report all transactions in cash.

Do you remember all the commotions over this bill?

Some of our beloved Senators and Deputies were totally against it.

Several desks were broken by Deputy Arnel Belizaire to show his frustration over this bill.

The bottom line is that Haiti is no longer running the risk of trade sanction for not having a law on Money Laundering and terrorist financing. The law sanctioning money laundering and terrorist financing was on Monday, November 11, 2013 was passed in identical terms by the two branches of parliament. The vote was as follows: 9 voted in favor, 3 against, 3 abstained

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Clifford Brandt, businessman and entrepreneur, is being brought to justice as the lead defendant of accomplices involved in an abduction network. The network has been targeting victims of kidnapping for many years.

The Central Directorate of the Judicial Police arrested him back in October 2012, after he abducted two youths. The kidnapping laid bare a network of abductors participating in abductions going back several years. Brandt, along with 12 of his co-conspirators will be tried in a criminal court proceeding before a judge.

Judge Me Gabrielle Dominique filed an ordinance specifying charges against 19 defendants including Brandt. Brandt is being indicted on charges of kidnapping, sequestration of people against ransom, criminal conspiracy, false death threats, possession of illegal firearms, and money laundering.

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Minister of Finance and Economy of Haiti, Ms. Marie Carmelle Jean-Marie, resigned from her post on Tuesday, April 09, 2013 with immediate effect. She sent her resignation to Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe where she clearly mentioned that she was leaving her post as the chief of Haitian economy. She served Haiti as the Minister of Finance and Economy for nearly 1 year. Prior to that, she worked for 8 years in Cuba and then returned to Haiti by giving up her residency in 2010. She is known by her nickname "the Iron Lady" and is considered by International community and many Haitians as one of the most competent members of Martelly administration.

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Attorneys representing a Haiti high-level official, Rene Duperval, convicted of money laundering in a kick-back scheme between Haiti Telco and two U.S. telecom companies, filed a motion Friday afternoon to appeal his sentence. The past Director of International Relations at Haiti received a nine-year prison sentence for charges related to money laundering (19 counts) and money laundering conspiracy (2 counts). Besides the convictions, the defendant was forced to deposit close to $500,000 in bribery money that he allegedly received from Terra and Cinergy in 2003 and 2006, into a court escrow account.

Rene Duperval's attorney, John E. Bergendahl, filed the motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, announcing his intention to appeal Duperval's prison term. When contacted by the news media, Bergendahl declined to comment.

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According to sources that we can trust, formal complaint has been filed with Haitian Justice system against former President Jean Bertrand Aristide. The former Haitian leader has been accused for being involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. The list of individuals accused beside former president Jean Bertrand Aristide is extensive. The complaint was formally introduced at the Cabined of Instruction in Port-au-Prince

Wow!

This new development in Haiti has to compete for coverage as the country is currently dealing with many others that have been in the front page. Some of the other hot topics in Haiti include: The citizenship of President Michel Martelly, the investigation for contracts given to Dominican firms, Affair Arnel Belizaire, the resignation of Prime Minister Garry Conille, The upcoming Election required, The publication of the Haitian Constitution.

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