On Tuesday, September 14, the prosecutor of Port-au-Prince, Bedford Claude, issued an ordinance banning Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry from leaving the country, for his alleged involvement in the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse. Claude has sent a letter to the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration with this interdiction.
Claude’s letter, which is circulating on social networks, reads: “Mr. Ariel Henry… is prohibited from leaving the national territory by air, sea and land due to the serious accusations in regard to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.”
Bed-Ford Claude en action, tacle Ariel Henry, interdiction de départ à l’encontre du Premier ministre de facto. La république des comédies…TT pic.twitter.com/Rv63fLkjMU
— TI KOZE AK TT (@TThelus30) September 14, 2021
Claude’s letter was issued on Tuesday, September 14, the same day that Henry had to appear before the Prosecutor’s Office to “clarify” the calls he made to Joseph Felix Badio, a lawyer suspected of participating in the planning of Moïse’s assassination.
In addition, Prosecutor Claude has asked Judge Garry Orélien to investigate Prime Minister Ariel Henry in relation to the assassination of president Moïse.
Digital news platform Vant Bèf Info informed that “the Government Commissioner at the Port-au-Prince First Instance Court, Bedford Claude, has just released his supplementary indictment as part of the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and calls for an investigation into Prime Minister Ariel Henry.”
Claude has asked Henry to report to the Prosecutor’s Office and collaborate with the investigation, although the prime minister has not done this so far.
According to Claude, on the day of the president’s assassination, July 7, the prime minister spoke for eight minutes with Badio, while the latter was in the vicinity of the president’s residence.
Discrepancies between senior officials have increased in recent weeks, as media have reported that the prime minister had fired prosecutor Claude, Minister for Justice Rockefeller Vincent, and the Secretary of the Council of Ministers, Rénald Lubérice.
None of the latter have offered statements on the matter, although Lubérice suggested on his Twitter account that his removal was illegal.
Featured image: Port-au-Prince prosecutor, Bedford Claude. Photo: Reuters / Ralph Tedy Erol
(Sputnik)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/GMS/SC
