Martine Moise, the widow of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, was indicted and charged with complicity in assassinating her husband in 2021.
In addition, former Prime Minister Claude Joseph and former director-general of the national police, Leon Charles, were also indicted. Martine is accused of conspiring with the two men to kill her husband, whom she intended to replace herself.
Charles is facing charges of murder; attempted murder; possession and illegal carrying of weapons; conspiracy against the internal security of the state; and criminal association. Joseph and Moise, who was injured in the attack, are accused of complicity and criminal association.
A 122-page leaked document was published by local media outlet AyiboPost on Monday (February 19), showed that Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire ordered the arrest and trial of some 50 people involved in the gunning down of Moise at his private residence in July 2021.
Since his death, Moise has not been succeeded as president, as his de facto successor, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, postponed elections indefinitely. Henry cited a recent earthquake and the growing power of heavily armed criminal gangs as his reasoning.
Joseph called out Henry in a statement with The Associated Press, stating, "Henry ... is weaponizing the Haitian justice system, prosecuting political opponents like me. It's a classic coup d'état," Joseph said. "They failed to kill me and Martine Moïse on July 7th 2021, now they are using the Haitian justice system to advance their Machiavellian agenda."
Source: AP
