December 23, 2024
On August 8, 2024, The Haitian government removed Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis from his position as President of the Board of Directors of the National Credit Bank (NCB, a state-owned bank). An official letter signed by Prime Minister Garry Conille informed Mr. Pierre-Louis that the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH, also a state-owned bank) is tasked with establishing a provisional management committee until a new Board of Directors is appointed.
This decision comes as the NCB is at the center of a corruption scandal involving three presidential advisors: Louis Gérald Gilles, Smith Augustin, and Emmanuel Vertilaire. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister on July 24, 2024, Pierre-Louis denounced an attempted extortion of 100 million gourdes by these advisors to allow him to keep his position. This situation has cast serious doubt on the integrity of public institutions.
The Unwavering Support of Pitit Dessalines and EDE
Emmanuel Vertilaire, representing the political party Pitit Dessalines within the Presidential Transition Council (CPT), has received steadfast support from his party. In a statement, Pitit Dessalines demanded legally valid evidence from Pierre-Louis to substantiate his allegations. The party firmly defended Vertilaire’s honor, emphasizing that baseless accusations should not jeopardize the careers of their members.
For its part, the political party Engagés pour le Développement (EDE) also expressed its support for Smith Augustin, one of the accused advisors. In a letter to its members, EDE stated that this support is justified by the principle of presumption of innocence and emphasized the importance of allowing justice to proceed independently and impartially.
The December 21, 2022 agreement acknowledged the scandal surrounding Louis Gérald Gilles while reminding everyone of the principle of the presumption of innocence. The agreement also urged Gilles to defend his honor by all legally recognized means, pending the emergence of evidence following a thorough investigation.
Pressure from Civil Society
In response to these accusations, voices have been raised demanding immediate action. Among them, the Civil Society Initiative (ISC) has firmly called for the resignation of the advisors involved in this scandal. The ISC stressed the need to restore confidence in public institutions and called for a transparent and rigorous investigation to shed light on these allegations.
The situation at the NCB, combined with the corruption accusations within the CPT, poses a major challenge for the Haitian government. The dismissal of Pierre-Louis is an attempt to stabilize the situation, but the political and institutional fallout from this crisis remains uncertain.
The reshuffling at the NCB and the pressure on the CPT advisors underscore the critical importance of transparency and integrity for the future of Haitian institutions. As the investigation progresses, observers are watching to see if substantial evidence will emerge and what impact this might have on the country’s political stability.