This archive report was first published on 11 September 2021.
On September 11, 2021, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry was asked to appear for questioning in connection with the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
Henry, who has been asked to testify about alleged conversations he had with a former government official wanted in connection with the murder, slammed what he called “diversionary tactics” used by investigators.
Prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude asked Henry to appear on Tuesday to answer questions about the calls, which were allegedly made just a few hours after the murder.
Police are still actively searching for the former official, Joseph Felix Badio, who worked in the justice ministry’s anti-corruption unit.
Henry stated, “These diversionary tactics, designed to create confusion and prevent justice from calmly running its course, will not stand.”
He also said, “Those who are truly guilty, the masterminds of the odious assassination of president Jovenel Moise and those who ordered it, will be found, brought to justice and punished for their actions.”
Given that a judge has already been assigned to handle the probe, Claude justified his request by citing the “extreme seriousness” of the investigation, which is in the “national interest.”
So far, 44 people — including 18 Colombians and two American of Haitian descent — have been arrested in connection with the inquiry into the assassination of Moise.
