PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A soccer field that was paid for but never built. A school that diverted resources from its students. A mayor who ran city hall out of his mother’s home and avoided property taxes.
Officials say these and dozens of other alleged acts of corruption cost Haiti’s government a “colossal loss” of some 500 million gourdes ($4 million) at a time when state infrastructure is collapsing amid political instability and deepening poverty.
kAm%96 2==682E:@?D H6C6 C6=62D65 %9FCD52J 3J w2:E:’D 2?E:8@G6C?>6?E 4@CCFAE:@? F?:E[ H9@D6 86?6C2= 5:C64E@C[ w2?D y@D6A9[ A=65865 E@ 8@ 27E6C E9@D6 H9@ “E@CA65@ E96 AF3=:4 EC62DFCJ 2?5 2DA9JI:2E6 E96 4@F?ECJ’D 64@?@>:4 2?5 D@4:2= 56G6=@A>6?E 677@CED]”k^Am
kAmw6 42==65 @? w2:E:’D ;F5:4:2= @77:4:2=D E@ 24E @? 9:D 286?4J’D 7:?5:?8D]k^Am
kAmy24BF6D {27@?E2?E[ 8@G6C?>6?E 4@>>:DD:@?6C 7@C E96 42A:E2= @7 !@CE\2F\!C:?46[ E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD @? uC:52J E92E 96 H@F=5 @C56C 2== E9@D6 ?2>65 😕 E96 C6A@CE E@ 2AA62C 367@C6 2 ;F586]k^Am
kAm“%96 AC@46DD H:== DE2CE H:E9@FE 2?J 56=2J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 b_\A286 C6A@CE C6=62D65 E@ E96 AF3=:4 DF>>2C:K6D =6?8E9J :?G6DE:82E:@?D =2F?4965 3J y@D6A9’D 286?4J 2?5 AC@G:56D 2 H:?5@H :?E@ C2>A2?E 4@CCFAE:@? 24C@DD w2:E:[ H96C6 >@C6 E92? e_T @7 :ED >@C6 E92? “ >:==:@? A6@A=6 DECF88=6 E@ DFCG:G6 @? 23@FE Sa 2 52J]k^Am
kAm%96 286?4J AFCDF65 `_ F?C6=2E65 :?G6DE:82E:@?D[ 7:?5:?8 2==6865 4@CCFAE:@? 😕 A=246D :?4=F5:?8 EH@ D49@@=D[ E9C66 >2J@CD’ @77:46D 2?5 E9C66 8@G6C?>6?E 286?4:6D]k^Am
kAmxE 244FD65 E96 86?6C2= 5:C64E@C @7 w2:E:’D }2E:@?2= {@EE6CJ @7 5:G6CE:?8 >@C6 E92? c` >:==:@? w2:E:2? 8@FC56D WSb__[___X H:E9 96=A 7C@> 96C 3C@E96C — 2 =682= AC@76DD:@?2= — 2?5 @7 ?@E 492C8:?8 4@>A2?:6D @A6C2E:?8 C:89ED[ C6DF=E:?8 😕 2 D9@CE72== @7 aeh >:==:@? 8@FC56D W>@C6 E92? Sa >:==:@?X E@ E96 AF3=:4 EC62DFCJ]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ :E 7@F?5 :CC68F=2C:E:6D H:E9 563:E 42C5D E92E w2:E:’D }2E:@?2= !@=:46 :DDF65 E@ 6>A=@J66D[ ?@E:?8 E92E 36?67:ED :==682==J 8:G6? E@ E9@D6 H9@ H6C6 7:C65 @C C6E:C65 C6DF=E65 😕 2 =@DD @7 >@C6 E92? `g]a >:==:@? 8@FC56D WS`c_[___X 😕 E96 DA2? @7 ;FDE E9C66 >@?E9D]k^Am
kAmxE 2=D@ 244FD65 E96 7@C>6C >2J@C @7 E96 D@FE96C? 4@2DE2= E@H? @7 !6E:E\v@2G6 @7 5:G6CE:?8 ?62C=J `a]g >:==:@? 8@FC56D W>@C6 E92? Shg[___X D=2E65 7@C D6G6C2= AC@;64ED]k^Am
kAm%96 7@C>6C @77:4:2= 2=D@ 2==6865=J D6E FA 4:EJ 92== 😕 9:D >@E96C’D 9@>6[ “AFEE:?8 9:>D6=7 😕 2 D:EF2E:@? H96C6 :E H2D ?646DD2CJ E@ 49@@D6 36EH66? AC@E64E:?8 E96 :?E6C6DED @7 E96 >2J@C’D @77:46 @C E9@D6 @7 9:D >@E96C[” E96 C6A@CE D2:5] xE 244FD65 9:> @7 ?@E A2J:?8 E2I6D @? E96 AC@A6CEJ 2?5 D2:5 >@?6J H2D >:DD:?8 7C@> E96 6>A=@J66 A2JC@==]k^Am
kAmp 7@C>6C >2J@C @7 E96 ?@CE9 4@2DE2= E@H? @7 p?D6\#@F86 H2D 244FD65 @7 4C62E:?8 >@C6 E92? EH@ 5@K6? 7:4E:@?2= 6>A=@J66D H9@D6 4964<D H6C6 8@:?8 E@ E96 4:EJ’D 244@F?E2?E] x? 255:E:@?[ E96 C6A@CE D2:5 E96C6 H2D ?@ 6G:56?46 @7 7:G6 AFCA@CE65 D2?:E2E:@? AC@;64ED @? H9:49 gbd[___ 8@FC56D WSe[c__X H2D DA6?E 2?5 ?@ AC@@7 E92E dhd[___ 8@FC56D WSc[d__X @776C65 3J E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 2:5 8C@FA ~I72> E@ 3FJ 7F6= H2D FD65 7@C E92E AFCA@D6]k^Am
kAmp=D@ 😕 E96 ?@CE9[ 2 7@C>6C >2J@C @7 $2:?E\#2A926= H2D 244FD65 @7 A2J:?8 2 4@>A2?J >@C6 E92? a >:==:@? 8@FC56D WS`d[___X 7@C 2 D@446C 7:6=5 2?5 C625:?8 46?E6C E92E H6C6 ?6G6C 3F:=E] %96 2?E:\4@CCFAE:@? 286?4J D2:5 :E EC:65 E@ EC24< 5@H? E96 4@>A2?J’D @77:4:2=D 3FE D2:5 E96 A9JD:42= 255C6DD AC@G:565 5:5 ?@E 6I:DE]k^Am
kAm%96 286?4J 244FD65 E96 7@C>6C 5:C64E@C @7 2 D49@@= 😕 |2:DD256 😕 46?EC2= w2:E: @7 5:G6CE:?8 >@C6 E92? a >:==:@? 8@FC56D WS`d[___X[ 2==68:?8 96 925 @?=J fbd DEF56?ED :?DE625 @7 E96 `[__c C68:DE6C65]k^Am
kAmy@D6A9 D2:5 E92E 56DA:E6 w2:E:’D “>2;@C DECF4EFC2= 5:776C6?46D[” 96 9@A65 E96 8@G6C?>6?E 4@F=5 C64@G6C :ED 2DD6ED 2?5 7F==J AF?:D9 E9@D6 H9@> 96 42==65 “6?6>:6D @7 E96 C6AF3=:4]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmr@E@ C6A@CE65 7C@> $2? yF2?[ !F6CE@ #:4@]k^Am