Crime & Justice

Haiti authorities present arrested presidential assassination suspects

Port-au-Prince, Jul 8 (EFE).- Haitian authorities are continuing on Thursday with legal and police procedures after the arrest of several foreigners suspected of participating in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise earlier this week.

National Police agents brought nine foreigners before cameras at the headquarters of the General Directorate of Judicial Power. The suspects were all handcuffed and some had bloodstains upon their bodies or clothing.

Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph had announced that he would present the “mercenaries” at a press conference at 7 pm.

As of midday on Thursday, search and capture operations had nabbed six suspects, while four others had been killed in shootouts with the National Police.

At least one US citizen is allegedly among the people arrested after the assassination, The Washington Post reported.

The daily quoted Haitian Elections and Inter-party Relations Minister Mathias Pierre as identifying US citizen James Solages – reportedly of Haitian descent – as one of two survivors of a gun battle with police near the president’s home.

Pierre also told the paper that at least one other arrested man is believed to be Haitian-American.

As yet, however, the Haitian government has not made any official announcement about the identities or nationalities of the detainees.

Police Director General Leon Charles had said earlier that security forces had captured the suspects in Moise’s Wednesday killing – which took place early Wednesday morning – and were on the hunt for the intellectual authors of the crime.

The police also seized five vehicles used by the suspected hit squad, but three of them were burned by a civilian mob that on Thursday gathered in front of the police station in the Petion-Ville district in Port-au-Prince with the aim of lynching the suspects.

Moise’s killing took place about 1 am Wednesday morning and Haitian authorities attribute the assassination to a group of armed men speaking both English and Spanish.

Related Articles

Back to top button