Haiti unveils new corruption cases against high-level officials even as impunity persists

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Investigators with Haiti’s anti-corruption agency donned caps and face masks on Tuesday as they stood behind boxes of evidence that accuse high-ranking government officials of crimes ranging from illicit enrichment to abuse of office.

It’s the latest crackdown on widespread corruption in the impoverished Caribbean country long known for its impunity. The newest cases involve food meant for public school students being diverted for other purposes to government fuel being used for personal benefit.

“These personalities have betrayed the country,” said Hans Joseph, general director of the Anti-Corruption Unit, who has been relentless in his pursuit of illegalities despite little to no repercussions for those accused.

He said the corruption cases unveiled Tuesday have cost the Haitian government $4.7 million, “an amount that paradoxically exceeds twice the budget allocated to the (agency) to fight corruption.”

One case involves the general director and other officials at Haiti’s National Solid Waste Management Service. The report states that while the agency disbursed $1.7 million to buy fuel from December 2021 to April 2024, only 45% of the fuel bought was used for the agency’s daily operations. The rest was used by the agency’s general director and others, the report alleged.

“As a general director, I find it normal to use the institution’s cash register to support myself,” Germain Paulémon, told investigators, according to the report.

He could not be immediately reached for comment.

Another case found that officials with Haiti’s National School Food Program bought $2.9 million worth of food from October 2016 to February 2021, but that out of a sample of 11 schools across Haiti, the majority “barely received anything,” the report found.

Officials said the food was diverted for other purposes but did not detail them. They noted that 90% of the providers listed by the program “did not physically exist,” and that some were run by the program’s own employees.

Haiti has long struggled with malnutrition, many of them public school students, and currently more than 1 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Officials also opened a case against the former minister of planification and external cooperation, Aviol Fleurant, after more than 4,900 people signed a petition demanding he be investigated. Authorities accused him of illegal enrichment, saying he could not explain the origin of more than $570,000 in his bank accounts.

Fleurant, who is an attorney, did not respond to a message requesting comment.

Other cases include the alleged embezzlement of more than $170,000 at Haiti’s power company after someone filed a complaint against senior board executives.

“The work that we do and that we intend to execute against all odds is that…of cleaning up the public administration,” Joseph said.

All those cited in the report following years-long investigations were referred to the public prosecutor’s office. However, Haiti rarely prosecutes government officials.

Joseph said that his office also has demanded declarations of assets from 14 diplomats, ambassadors, consuls and consul generals who have yet to submit any information, and, as a result, were referred to authorities.

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Associated Press reporter Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti contributed.