December 23, 2024
A new development has shaken Haiti’s political landscape. The party Les Engagés pour le Développement (EDE) has called on its Defense Minister, Marc Antoine Berthier, to refrain from attending Cabinet meetings alongside the three advisors from the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) currently embroiled in a corruption scandal tied to the National Credit Bank (NBC).
In a letter to Minister Berthier, EDE’s National Executive Committee (NEC) justifies its decision based on Article 2 of the April 10, 2024 Decree, which states, “no one may be part of the TPC if currently under criminal accusation, prosecution, or previously convicted by a court.” This position, emphasized in an official letter signed by Claude Édouard, EDE’s Secretary General, underscores the party’s firm stance on the integrity of its representatives.
The three TPC advisors, Louis Gérald Gilles, Emmanuel Vertilaire, and Smith Augustin, are now under official investigation by Judge Benjamin Felismé. With the initiation of this judicial investigation, their status has shifted, intensifying the need for transparency and accountability within the government. “The opening of this investigation by Judge Benjamin Felismé undeniably alters the status of the three implicated members and represents a significant turning point in this matter,” the party stated in its letter.
EDE is resolute about the importance of maintaining the integrity of Haiti’s political transition. The letter clearly emphasizes that removing the implicated advisors is essential for “ensuring the integrity and success of the transitional process.” Through this measure, EDE hopes to preserve public trust in the political transition amid growing institutional and security challenges in the country.