Obama Admin is threatening Aristide with politically motivated prosecution

Horhey · Apr 24, 2012

After years of repeated failed US efforts at charging former President Aristide with crimes ranging from drug trafficking to murder, the Obama administration is continuing the witch hunt by threatening him with another politically motivated prosecution:

to prevent the former president from gaining more traction with the Haitian population..
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With this latest threat of false imprisonment (quoted in the Miami Herald article):

The U.S. government may be sending a signal to Aristide, called Titid by his admirers, to think twice about trying to re-enter the political scene, observers said.

The display of popular support for Aristide is very worrisome to the U.S., so indicting Titid before a potential comeback makes perfect sense, said Robert Fatton, a Haiti expert at the University of Virginia.

[Aristide] returned to Haiti from South Africa last March over the strong objections of the Obama administration.
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The Miami Herald: Miami bribery probe zeroes in on Haiti's ex-leader Aristide

Former Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide is once again in the cross-hairs of the US government, this time for allegedly pocketing millions of dollars in bribes from Miami businesses.

Aristides lawyer, Ira Kurzban, declined to comment about the Justice Departments investigation because the ex-president hasnt been charged with any crime. But, Kurzban said: I view this as part of the same smear campaign that the United States has orchestrated against Aristide since he was first elected in 1990.

The revelation that federal officials are still pursuing Aristide, years after a U.S. grand jury investigation failed to nab him on drug-trafficking and money-laundering allegations, comes at a politically charged time in Haiti.

Haitian media reported last week that President Michel Martellys government had indicted Aristide for corruption and drug trafficking during his rule, immediately triggering anger among his supporters. Haitis justice minister told The Miami Herald the reports were false.

Still, thousands marched through the streets of Haitis capital Wednesday, singing pro-Aristide slogans while bashing Martelly, to mark the eighth anniversary of Aristides ouster from power on Feb. 29, 2004. The demonstration the biggest anti-Martelly protest since he came to power in May showed that Aristide still enjoys a measure of popularity. He returned to Haiti from South Africa last March over the strong objections of the Obama administration.

The trial of Duperval, Haiti Telecos former director of international relations, highlights the Justice Departments persistence in pursuing the bribery case and Aristide. Some question the zeal.

The U.S. government may be sending a signal to Aristide, called Titid by his admirers, to think twice about trying to re-enter the political scene, observers said.

The display of popular support for Aristide is very worrisome to the U.S., so indicting Titid before a potential comeback makes perfect sense, said Robert Fatton, a Haiti expert at the University of Virginia.

Still, unless the Justice Department has an air-tight case, arresting Aristide could have volatile consequences, observers said.

Corruption and drug-trafficking charges have long dogged Aristide.

Haitis interim government produced four blistering reports from two government investigative commissions, alleging he had embezzled more than $20 million of his countrys meager public funds.

But the Haitian governments financial watchdog agency could not prove the allegations. Also, a civil lawsuit filed in Miami by the interim government, gained no traction.

Meanwhile, federal prosecutors investigated Aristide for allegedly accepting bribes from drug traffickers. But they could not make their case because of a lack of financial documents to back up convicted cocaine kingpin Jacques Ketants accusations, according to sources familiar with that probe.
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Obama Admin is threatening Aristide with politically motivated prosecution

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