News Information

• NEWS_POSTED_BY: Marcel Wah
• NEWS_POSTED_ON: Apr 08, 2015
• Comments : 1
• Views : 748
• Category : Haiti News
• Description : By ANDRE PAULTRE and FRANCES ROBLESMARCH 18, 2015
• Location : Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti
• Website : http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/world/americas/ex-promoter-in-haiti-charged-in-kidnapping-ring.html?ref=topics

Overview

• PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A former music promoter with ties to the Haitian president, Michel Martelly, was indicted this week, accused of running a kidnapping ring said to be responsible in the killing of a police inspector and the abductions of 17 people.
  
  But the surrogate prosecutor overseeing the case disagreed with the investigation’s findings and recommended dropping the charges, according to a charging document made public Wednesday.
  
  Human rights activists in Haiti said the mixed message in the indictment of the promoter, Woodley Ethéart, underscored how prosecutors often represent the interests of the administration that appointed them — a particularly strong trend since Mr. Martelly took office in 2011.
  
  He has been running the country without a Parliament, and several people in his circle have arrest records.
  
  
  Mr. Ethéart was accused of leading the Galil Gang, which is accused of abducting businessmen for ransom. In a six-year period, the gang abducted 17 people, an investigating judge wrote.
  
  Read more here >>