Haiti immigration officials detained on passport fraud freed, deny wrongdoing 

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Prosecutors have released the head of Haiti’s immigration agency and nine other staffers detained last week in a passport fraud investigation. However, Immigration Director Antoine Jean Simon Fénélon and his workers remain under a travel ban as the case moves forward.

In a public statement after his release, Fénélon denied wrongdoing.

“Today, I stand with a clear conscience,” he wrote on Facebook, describing the ordeal as a difficult but clarifying experience. “I remain committed, with respect for the law, for truth, and for public service.”

Fénélon and his group was released March 26, three days after the Haitian National Police (PNH) picked them up March 23 for questioning by the Port-au-Prince Prosecutor’s Office. The Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) had held the suspects for several days before transferring them to prosecutors.

Prosecutor Fritz Patterson Dorval said the 10 officials are prohibited from leaving the country pending the outcome of the investigation, which has now been referred to an investigating judge.

Authorities have not yet announced formal charges in the probe.

Focus on irregularities echoes past corruption 

The arrests followed a targeted police operation at the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration (DIE), where a justice of the peace also ordered the passport production office sealed as part of their inquiry. The investigation centers on the alleged production of passports for foreigners using Haitian citizens’ tax identification numbers (NIF).

The Ministry of the Interior, which oversees DIE, reportedly alerted judicial authorities and supported an operation to uncover the alleged network of fraudsters.

The case has renewed longstanding concerns about corruption and weak oversight within Haiti’s passport system, an issue that has surfaced repeatedly in recent years. 

A similar scandal broke out in May 2025 involving ex-DIE Director Stéphane Vincent. Haiti’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) alleged that Vincent authorized the issuance of 556 passports without required tax payments, resulting in an estimated $28,120 loss to the state.

Vincent denied wrongdoing, and no prosecution has been announced in that case.

Haiti’s judicial system overall continues to face scrutiny over its ability to address corruption cases involving senior state officials.

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