Haiti-Corruption: Pitit Desalin summons Pierre-Louis in the BNC-CPT scandal

PORT-AU-PRINCE —  The allegations of corruption involving three members of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), Louis Gérald Gilles, Smith Augustin and Emmanuel Vertilaire, continues to make headlines in Haiti. After Councilor Agustin’s legal move, Pitit Desalin, the political party behind Emmanuel Vertilaire’s designation at the CPT, has also turned to the court on Tuesday to summon Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis, chairman of the board of Haiti’s National Credit Bank (BNC).

The summons, issued by the former Senator Jean-Charles Moïse-led political party, demands that Pierre-Louis authenticate WhatsApp messages exchanged between him and presidential councilor Louis Gérald Gilles within two calendar days. Failure to comply could result in legal action against Pierre-Louis, the summons states.

“Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis has a period of two calendar days to justify the authenticity of the exchanges between him and Louis Gérald Gilles. If he does not comply with this request, he will be forced by all legal means,” Pitit Desalin summoned.

For three weeks, tensions have escalated between the three accused members of the CPT and the BNC’s board chairman over an alleged bribe to maintain his job at BNC. The case has seen multiple twists, extending beyond the presidential councilors to involve their political parties, demanding proof from Pierre-Louis.

Pitit Desalin claims the WhatsApp exchanges may have been manipulated or falsified, potentially implicating their CPT representative in a reappointment bribe scheme. The party believes Pierre-Louis aims to obscure the truth and tarnish the reputation of their representative, Vertilaire.

“The said exchanges via WhatsApp were manipulated or falsified through deletions, inversions of sentences, and truncations to take them out of context and alter their impact on public opinion”, Pitit Desalin said.

Augustin had previously demanded a public apology from Pierre-Louis by July 30, which was not me. On August 5, however, Pierre-Louis responded to questions from the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), the investigation commission looking into the matter.

The genesis of the saga

In a letter dated July 24, 2024, to Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille, Pierre-Louis accused presidential councilors Gilles, Augustin and Vertilaire of demanding a 100 million gourdes or about $758,000 (USD) bribe to retain his position as BNC’s board chairman.

In the wake of the allegations, several Haitian civil society organizations have called for the removal of the three accused members from the CPT. However, without concrete evidence, the parties supporting these councilors remain loyal, demanding proof or a public apology from Pierre-Louis, who may face legal actions.

On his part, Pierre-Louis maintains the accusation and does not seem to be deterred by threats of legal actions against him. However, he has pexpressed concerns regarding his professional integrity, security and the safety of his families.

 “This request, which I perceive as a form of corruption, not only threatens my professional integrity but also poses a serious security risk to my family and me,” Pierre-Louis wrote in his letter to Prime Minister Conille. “Having become a target of these individuals, we are exposed to threats of potential attacks.”

The post Haiti-Corruption: Pitit Desalin summons Pierre-Louis in the BNC-CPT scandal appeared first on The Haitian Times.