Judge Walter Voltaire accused the former first lady Martine MoiseWidow of the assassinated President Jovenel Moïse, for complicity and criminal association in the assassination attempt in July 2021. In addition to the widow, 50 other people were indicted, including the former Prime Minister of Haiti, Claude Josephand the former head of the National Police, Leon Charleswho now serves as the Caribbean country’s permanent representative to the Organization of American States (OAS).
Joseph faces the same charges as Martine Moïse, while Charles faces charges of murder, attempted murder, illegal possession and carrying of weapons, conspiracy against the internal security of the State and conspiracy to commit a crime.
The defendants include 17 Colombians and Haitian-Americans Christian Emmanuel Sanon, James Solage And Joseph Vincent; Likewise Moïse’s coordinator and head of security, Jean Laguel Civil And Dimitri Herard, respectively; the former anti-corruption unit agent Joseph Felix Badio and the former ministers Ardouin Zephirin And Louis Edner Gonzague Day. It is surprising that there are no political opponents of the former president among the defendants.
“There are consistent allegations and sufficient evidence to justify their responsibility for the acts with which they are accused,” said the judge’s decision, who “referred them for trial to the criminal court sitting without the assistance of a jury. “for association with a crime.”, armed robbery, terrorism, murder and complicity in murder, crimes committed to the detriment of Jovenel Moïse.
As for Moïse’s widow, her statements on the assassination of the president are “so full of contradictions that they leave much to be desired and discredit her,” says the investigative judge’s order. The judge cited the statements of two other defendants who said that Martine Moïse wanted to run in the presidential election after the murder.
According to the defendant Joseph Félix Badio, various interest groups formed around President Jovenel Moïse in the National Palace, all of which wanted to get rid of him in order to seize power and satisfy their crass desires. Among them were his wife Martine Mose and Claude Joseph.
The document shows that Moïse’s current widow went to the National Palace on the night of Monday, July 5, 2021, two days before the assassination of the president, and stayed there for almost five hours until she arrived on site early in the morning on Tuesday . “In short, the consistent allegations and evidence of the former first lady’s involvement in the murder are sufficient,” the text says.
Magistrate Voltaire sent his 122-page order to a prosecutor, who will now inform those connected to the accusation. The next step will be for the president of the Haitian Supreme Court to organize a trial. In the USA, where the attack was planned and financed, six people have already pleaded guilty in the case.
In October, the Haitian judiciary issued an arrest warrant for Martine Moïse after she ignored a request for questioning. But then his whereabouts could not be determined.
Paul Turner, the lawyer of Jovenel Moïse’s widow, assures that his client is innocent and that the violent attack on her husband was the most traumatic night of her life. “These allegations made by an irregular court against political opponents are a Stalinist maneuver by a would-be dictator,” Turner said in a written response to questions. “It is sad to see these tactics being used against Ms. Moïse.”
Two and a half years of research have not provided answers to many of the questions that still linger. Many interpret that the current Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, has used the case to prosecute political opponents and exonerate himself and his allies from any suspicion of involvement. In fact, Henry had close ties to one of the main suspects. However, he denied being involved in the murder or interfering in the case.
Moïse was tortured and murdered in his residence in Port-au-Prince in the early hours of July 7, 2021 by a group of mercenaries, mostly former Colombian military personnel, hired by a security company in the Miami area. His wife was injured in the attack and was transferred to Miami for treatment that same day.