December 22, 2024
On November 19, 2024, the criminal court of Hinche sentenced Roudel Ducherne, an inspector at the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), to four years in prison for embezzlement of public funds. The decision, rendered without a jury in accordance with Article 5.4 of the March 12, 2014 law on the prevention and punishment of corruption, also mandates the restitution of the embezzled funds. This verdict, based on a thorough investigation by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC in French), has been hailed as a significant step in combating impunity within public administration.
The ULCC emphasized that the conviction followed an arrest in flagrante delicto, highlighting its critical role in pursuing fraudulent activities. “This decision reflects the determination to enhance transparency in Haiti’s public administration, but it also underscores the scale of challenges ahead,” stated the agency in a November 25 memo. Roudel Ducherne thus becomes the second senior official convicted of corruption in two decades, following Edric Léandre in 2015, marking a rare instance of continuity in efforts to restore accountability.
While welcoming the verdict, the ULCC criticized the slow handling of other pending corruption cases. It specifically called attention to cases involving three presidential advisors named in a report on the National Credit Bank (NCB). Despite serious allegations of misconduct, these individuals remain in office, a situation the ULCC described as “detrimental to the credibility of the judicial system.” The agency also noted that several officials summoned for questioning have failed to appear, underscoring the need for structural reforms.
This ruling serves as a reminder that combating corruption is crucial to fostering trust in public administration. However, the arrest and sentencing of Roudel Ducherne alone do not meet the expectations of a population weary of decades of mismanagement. For the ULCC, the ultimate goal remains clear: to turn every corruption case into an opportunity to restore hope and credibility to a state striving for renewal.