More suspects are being sought in the assassination of President Moise
Haitian authorities are searching for more suspects in last week’s killing of President Jovenel Moise, as the country grapples with mounting political uncertainty and many outstanding questions following the assassination.
Police have issued warrants for five fugitives they say are believed to be “armed and dangerous”, including former Haitian senator John Joel Joseph, ex-government official Joseph Felix Badio, and businessman Rodolphe Jaar.
The authorities have arrested 18 Colombians and three Haitians, including two dual US-Haitian nationals, accused of forming a gang of mercenaries that opened fire on Moise and his wife, Martine Moise, at their home Port-au-Prince in the early hours of July 7.
The alleged mastermind of the operation, a US-based Haitian doctor, named Christian Emmanuel Sanon, was also arrested this week.
But many questions remain unanswered, including what the motive of the attack was, and Moise’s death has worsened already deep political uncertainty in the country.
Moise was widely criticized for failing to stem surging gang violence, for his alleged involvement in corruption, for ruling by decree for over a year, and for spurring a constitutional crisis after he refused to leave the presidency in February.
Opposition groups, civil society activists, and legal experts all said his term expired at that time, but Moise insisted he had another year.
Since his death, three Haitian politicians have vied for the leadership as many state institutions are not functioning, and the constitution is unclear about who should take over.
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph claimed authority, but that has been challenged by two other senior politicians, Prime Minister-designate Ariel Henry and Senate President Joseph Lambert.
This week Joseph formed a committee composed of several government ministers to organize funeral proceedings for Moise.
“The government currently has two priorities: pursuing the investigation to give justice to the president’s family and organizing a national funeral for the president,” said Joseph, who ordered a 15-day “state of siege” as well as several days of national mourning after Moise was killed.
Joseph has remained vague about progress in the criminal investigation into the assassination, calling the matter “very sensitive”.
0 Comment