Haitian court questions former President Martelly in Moïse assassination investigation

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Former Haitian President Michel Joseph Martelly appeared before Investigating Judge Jean Denis Cyprien on Monday to answer questions as a witness in the over five-year investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

The hearing marked Martelly’s first appearance before Haitian judicial authorities since returning to the country on July 15 after spending several years in Florida. His testimony comes as Judge Cyprien intensifies an investigation that has yet to produce a trial in Haiti, despite dozens of arrests and indictments.

Martelly was questioned as part of a series of hearings involving current and former public officials, law enforcement leaders and other individuals who investigators believe may have information relevant to the brutal assassination.

The former president declined to answer reporters’ questions before entering the Court of Appeal. He briefly greeted supporters before meeting privately with the judge.

After the hearing, Martelly left the judge’s office without making any statement. However, his lawyer, Mario Delcy, said that the former president wants the full truth to be uncovered regarding the assassination of Jovenel Moïse. He added that his client, who has not been charged, responded to the judge’s summons, as the judge sought information about the operations of the National Palace.

“The president was there as a witness,” Delcy said. “He is not an accused person, just as he was not when Judge Wesser Voltaire invited him to appear.”

“He answered all the questions. Every time the justice system of his country calls on him, he will fulfill his duty by appearing and answering all questions,” the lawyer added.

Martelly introduced Moïse to national politics, backing him as the Haitian Tèt Kale Party’s presidential candidate after completing his own presidency. Moïse was elected in 2016 and remained closely associated with Martelly’s political movement until his assassination.

The hearing had originally been scheduled for June but was postponed at Martelly’s request because he was living in the United States at the time.

Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence in Pèlerin 5 near Pétion-Ville, during a predawn attack on July 7, 2021. First Lady Martine Moïse was seriously wounded. United States’ investigators say what initially began as a kidnapping plot evolved into an assassination involving former Colombian soldiers, Haitian Americans, current and former police officers, business figures, government officials and others.

Investigation continues

Martelly’s testimony is part of a renewed push by Judge Cyprien, the sixth investigating judge assigned to the case since 2021.

Previous judges either withdrew because of security concerns, were removed over procedural issues or faced allegations of misconduct, contributing to years of delays in one of Haiti’s most politically sensitive criminal investigations.

As throngs of supporters, relatives and government officials continued to call for justice, Judge Cyprien has questioned several prominent figures in recent months, including Haitian National Police Director General André Jonas Vladimir Paraison, human rights activist Pierre Espérance and former opposition Sen. Evalière Beauplan.

More than 40 suspects remain jailed in Haiti, including about 17 former Colombian soldiers accused of participating in the operation. Other suspects—including former police officers, attorneys and public officials—remain fugitives.

Cyprien has also issued arrest warrants and requested Interpol assistance in locating several individuals who failed to respond to judicial summonses, including former Justice Minister Rockefeller Vincent and former Radio Télévision Caraïbes journalist Jean Monard Métellus.

Speaking from Montreal on July 6, Métellus said he had never received a judicial summons and remains willing to cooperate with investigators if provided adequate security guarantees.

Separate allegations

Martelly’s appearance Monday was limited to the Moïse assassination investigation and did not involve separate allegations related to corruption, drug trafficking or alleged ties to armed groups.

His return to Haiti comes while he remains under sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada.

In August 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Martelly, alleging that he used his political influence to facilitate drug trafficking, collaborated with narcotics traffickers and supported armed gangs in Haiti.

Canada also imposed sanctions in November 2022, accusing him of supporting armed groups and contributing to instability in Haiti.

Yet, those sanctions are administrative measures, not criminal convictions. Martelly has not been convicted by any court of the allegations underlying those sanctions.

In Haiti, he has also been cited in a report by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC, its French acronym), which alleged omissions, inconsistencies and suspected false statements in his asset declarations.

Also, according to a January 2024 court order, Martelly was on a list of 36 former high-ranking officials who have been issued arrest warrants in a corruption probe involving the misappropriation of property from Haiti’s National Center of Equipment (CNE).   

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