Haiti’s costly presidential council on brink of collapse amid deepening corruption scandal

Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) is teetering on the brink of collapse after a corruption scandal hit three key members. The Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) accused voting members Emmanuel Vertilaire, Louis Gérald Gilles, and Smith Augustin of bribery, deepening public mistrust. Now, political parties and civil society groups are calling for their immediate resignation.

Despite these calls, none of the implicated officials have stepped down. They continue participating in critical decisions, raising concerns over their value and fears about the council’s future.

In a report published on Oct. 3, the ULCC accused three CPT members of passive corruption and demanded their indictment. The report also implicates Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis, the former chairman of Haiti’s National Credit Bank (BNC), whom the three councilors allegedly attempted to bribe in exchange for keeping him in his post. 

These allegations have sparked widespread outrage as the accused officials continue to hold on to their positions, seemingly unmoved by the growing demands for accountability.

A bloated budget under scrutiny

The ULCC’s investigation has shed light on the staggering costs of CPT maintenance. According to the report, each presidential council costs the Haitian state over 1.46 million gourdes monthly or US$11,100. When factoring in all nine members, including the seven voting and two non-voting members, the council’s monthly expense balloons to approximately 13.167 million gourdes or around US$100,000, excluding additional security and advisory expenses.

In his testimony to the ULCC investigators, Augustin, one of the accused, outlined in detail the benefits provided to a CPT member. These include a salary of 220,000 gourdes (about $1,700), 400,000 gourdes (over $3,000) in residence expenses, 400,000-500,000 ($3,000-3,800) on debit cards, 250,000 gourdes (about $1,900) in fuel vouchers, 73,000 gourdes ($554) in miscellaneous and 20,000 gourdes (about $152) for personal phone service.

In addition to the $11,100 monthly base compensation per member, 25 million gourdes, or about $189,625, is allocated to the institution for intelligence services. The ULCC document does not specify whether that sum is budgeted annually or otherwise and if it is per councilor or for all nine members together. 

However, these 25 million gourdes initially meant for intelligence services are actually listed as a personal benefit for the councilors, further fueling criticism in a country struggling financially in the face of humanitarian and security crises.

Questions remain about the value of these intelligence services. The Haitian Times’ attempts to reach council members for clarification on the costs and the fate of the accused have been unsuccessful. The Ministry of Economy and Finance has also not responded to a request for comment.

Calls for accountability

The CPT’s future has become even more precarious, with political and civil society groups demanding the resignation of the implicated officials. Several prominent organizations, including the Civil Society Initiative (ISC, its French acronym) and Together Against Corruption (ECC, its French acronym), have issued statements urging the council members to step down in the name of justice.

“The members of the Transitional Presidential Council indexed by the ULCC must, in the name of the principle of equality of all citizens before the law, resign and place themselves at the disposal of justice,” reads a press release from the ISC. 

The release calls for bold measures to restore public confidence in the council, which has failed to meet its objectives, particularly in addressing Haiti’s growing insecurity and forming transitional bodies.

Marie Rosie Auguste Ducena, president of ECC, reiterated this stance: “The continued presence of these advisors in the CPT will further erode public trust in an already struggling institution.”

Resisting resignation amid CPT’s fragile future

Despite the mounting pressure, the accused councilors remain in their positions. On Oct. 4, six of the seven voting CPT members signed a resolution appointing Leslie Voltaire as the new president of the transitional council. He replaced Edgard Gardy Leblanc Fils, whose term ended on Oct. 7, according to internal compromise and rules.

The resolution has excluded the three accused officials from becoming CPT president. However, they still significantly influence the council, participating in its operations and decision-making processes.

In his final statement as CPT president, Leblanc expressed concern over the council’s future and urged the accused members to resign to prevent further damage to its credibility.

 “These councilors must step down to avoid further tarnishing the reputation of the Council,” Leblanc said in a televised message.

The ULCC report’s revelations have heightened concerns about the viability of the CPT, a body initially formed to lead Haiti through its transitional period. The council has struggled to deliver on its promises, particularly in addressing gang violence in the West and Artibonite departments and implementing an April 4 agreement on establishing transitional bodies.

With its leadership embroiled in a corruption scandal, the CPT’s mission appears more at risk than ever. In the long run, the cost to the Haitian people may be much higher than what appears on paper. 

Civil society groups like the ISC and ECC argue that the council’s inability to act decisively on the corruption allegations will only deepen the public’s distrust in Haiti’s transitional government.

The CPT remains in a precarious position, with its leadership scrambling to maintain control while facing increasing calls for reform. Whether the accused members will step aside or continue to cling to power remains unseen, but the longer they hold on, the more uncertain Haiti’s transition becomes.

“The CPT cannot afford to maintain leaders implicated in such serious allegations,” said Jean André Victor, spokesperson for the January 30 Collective, during an interview on Magic 9 radio station.

 “The council’s future—and the future of the entire transition—depends on the swift removal of these individuals.”

The post Haiti’s costly presidential council on brink of collapse amid deepening corruption scandal appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Haiti’s costly presidential council on brink of collapse amid deepening corruption scandal was first posted on October 15, 2024 at 7:37 am.