A Haitian judge overseeing the investigation into the 2021 assassination of the country's late president has leveled charges against around fifty individuals, including the president's widow and a former prime minister, as revealed in a leaked document disclosed to local media outlets.
According to the leaked 122-page document attributed to Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire, President Jovenel Moise's widow, Martine Moise, allegedly collaborated with former Prime Minister Claude Joseph in a conspiracy to orchestrate the assassination, purportedly aiming for Martine to assume the presidency following her husband's demise.
The fatal attack occurred during the night of July 7, 2021, when armed assailants stormed into Moise's bedroom in Port-au-Prince, resulting in his death and leaving Martine Moise wounded.
The judge's directive calls for the apprehension and prosecution of the accused individuals.
Neither Martine Moise nor Claude Joseph immediately responded to Reuters' request for comment. Martine Moise has expressed criticism on social media, denouncing what she perceives as unjust arrests and political persecution.
In contrast, Joseph, now leading an opposition party, accused President Ariel Henry, Moise's de facto successor, of leveraging the Haitian judicial system to target adversaries in what he labeled a "classic coup d'etat."
A spokesperson from Henry's office asserted the judge's autonomy and underscored his prerogative to issue orders in accordance with legal procedures and personal discretion.
Henry assumed office shortly before Moise's assassination, succeeding Joseph. He pledged to organize elections but postponed them indefinitely, citing challenges posed by a severe earthquake and the escalating influence of heavily armed criminal factions, prompting appeals for international assistance.
Amidst widespread concerns over gang control in the capital, an international coalition led by Kenya is set to support Haitian law enforcement, notwithstanding reservations stemming from prior controversies involving foreign interventions and accusations against Henry's administration.
In a parallel development, a trial related to Moise's killing is underway in Miami, where six out of eleven defendants have admitted to participating in a scheme involving Colombian mercenaries, initially intended for abduction but ultimately culminating in the president's murder. The plot reportedly aimed to install Haitian-American pastor Christian Emmanuel Sanon as Moise's successor.
