December 23, 2024
The scandal involving the National Credit Bank (NCB) has shaken Haiti’s political scene, and the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) appears to have solid evidence that could bring down all the individuals implicated. In its explosive report, the ULCC recommends initiating public legal action against the three advisors of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) — Smith Augustin, Emmanuel Vertilaire, and Louis Gérald Gilles — as well as against the former president of the NCB, Raoul Pascal Pierre Louis. None of the key figures in this case have escaped the wave of accusations.
The three TPC advisors are accused of abuse of office, soliciting bribes, and passive corruption — offenses that cast a shadow on their integrity as high-ranking state representatives. Allegedly, these advisors solicited the sum of 100 million gourdes from Raoul Pascal Pierre Louis in exchange for his reappointment as Chairman of the Board of the NCB. Moreover, it was revealed that they received credit cards with a limit of up to 20,000 US dollars, issued by the NBC at the instigation of Pierre Louis, which constitutes an undue benefit.
Raoul Pascal Pierre Louis, for his part, faces charges of abuse of office, bribery, and obstruction of justice for attempting to conceal the truth regarding these practices. Among the strongest recommendations from the ULCC is a request to U.S. authorities to extradite Raoul Pascal Pierre Louis to Haiti so that he may face justice. This action sends a clear signal: there will be no protection for the corrupt, even those who attempt to flee abroad.
To prevent the recurrence of such abuses in public administration, the ULCC also recommends the development and adoption of a code of ethics for public officials. This code aims to regulate the conduct of civil servants and strengthen transparency in public administration. In parallel, the ULCC proposes promoting the “Practical Guide: Preventing Risks to Integrity,” intended to raise awareness among public officials about corruption risks and promote responsible behavior.
These requests by the ULCC are based on solid evidence, including the irregular use of credit cards and secret meetings organized to negotiate Pierre Louis’s reappointment to the head of the NCB. By soliciting and accepting bribes, the TPC advisors and Raoul Pierre Louis demonstrated misconduct that, according to the ULCC, warrants a rigorous and uncompromising judicial response.