Haiti police suspects former SC judge's involvement in President Moïse's assassination

Haitian police on July 30 announced fresh accusations against a former Supreme Court judge over her links to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse earlier this month. While speaking to reporters, Inspector General Marie Michelle Verrier, the spokesperson for the National Police of Haiti, informed that Wendelle Coq-Thelot's whereabouts are still unknown. However, she added that an arrest warrant for the former SC judge, who was ousted with two other judges earlier in February when the President had alleged a coup was being planned against him, has already been issued. 

Verrier further said that Colombian mercenaries and Haitian-Americans arrested in the wake of Moïse's murder said they had met Coq-Thelot. The Inspector General said that several of them have indicated that they have been to the former SC judge’s home twice. She added that these people also gave to police the details of documents signed during the meetings at Coq-Thelot's home. 

On Friday, Verrier said that police have already raided Coq-Thelot's main home as well as other residences in the countryside. Additionally, a wanted poster for the former SC judge has also been launched. Now, a total of 27 people have been arrested and others are still being sought in connection with the July 7 attack at the president's home, Verrier said. 

The latest development comes after the Haitian police arrested Jean Laguel Civil, who served as general security coordinator when Moïse was killed in the middle of the night at his private residence. Police are still looking for various suspects, including a former rebel leader and an ex-Haitian senator. But it remains unclear who organized and financed the plot that included recruiting former Colombian special forces soldiers and at least two Florida-based companies.

President's widow recounts assassination

Meanwhile, the wife of the slain Haitian President said the men who murdered her husband also believed they had killed her in the assassination. In her first interview since the assassination, Martine Moïse told The New York Times about the terrifying moments when gunmen burst into their home, shot her and then killed the president before rifling through her husband’s files looking for something. Martine revealed that the killers eventually found what they were looking for, and made cursory efforts on their way out to see if she was still alive. 

Martine survived and was rushed for emergency treatment to the United States, where she spoke to the newspaper while flanked by security guards, diplomats and family. She said that she still can't grasp how people got past 30 to 50 security personnel stationed at the president's home. None of them were killed or wounded in the attack. “I don’t understand how nobody was shot,” she said. Marine even went on to say that she wants all those responsible to be brought to justice. She believes that Haitian elites are those who could’ve organised such a brazen attack. 

“Only the oligarchs and the system could kill him,” Martine said.

(Image: AP)