December 23, 2024
The Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince is about to launch a judicial investigation targeting several influential members of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC). Following a damning report from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), the public prosecutor, Lionel Constant Bourgoin, has approached Chief Judge Bernard Sainvil, requesting the appointment of an investigative judge to shed light on allegations of passive corruption involving Louis Gérald Gilles, Emmanuel Vertilaire, and Smith Augustin.
This formal request marks the beginning of the judicial process, where the appointed judge will be responsible for verifying the validity of the accusations and determining whether there is sufficient evidence to indict these advisors. The ULCC report accuses these TPC members of abuse of power and accepting bribes, based on the 2014 anti-corruption law in Haiti. Other figures, including Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis and Lonick Léandre, are also being targeted for active corruption and obstruction of justice.
The case, already widely covered in the media, has escalated with increasing pressure from civil society and political leaders, who are calling for the resignation of the implicated advisors before justice takes its course. Despite these demands, the three advisors continue to categorically deny the allegations against them.
This scandal highlights one of the most sensitive corruption cases of the moment, and the outcome of this investigation could have significant repercussions on the image and stability of the TPC at a time when Haiti is facing numerous socio-economic challenges.