Ten Haitian officials, including a director general, detained in passport fraud case

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Officers from Haiti’s Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) are continuing to question the country’s top immigration official Antoine Jean Simon Fénélon, director general of the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration (DIE), and nine other employees, days after their arrest in an alleged passport fraud scheme, as the group remains in custody and the investigation widens.

Fénélon and Jean Osselin Lambert, head of DIE’s technology department, were detained on March 23 along with eight staff members, in connection with what authorities describe as a passport trafficking network.

In a statement, the Haitian National Police (PNH) said the arrests were carried out at the request of the Port-au-Prince Prosecutor’s Office. A justice of the peace also sealed the passport production office as part of the investigation.

“The suspects were immediately taken to the Port-au-Prince Prosecutor’s Office to be questioned,” the PNH said. “Following this hearing, they were handed over to the DCPJ for further investigation to establish the facts.”

Authorities have not yet announced formal charges. Fénélon and the other suspects remain in custody as investigators continue their inquiry before determining whether the case will be dismissed or referred to an investigative judge for further inquiry. 

“We do not yet know the extent of each suspect’s involvement,” said Port-au-Prince Prosecutor Fritz Patterson Dorval. “This is an ongoing investigation. We are delegating authority to the DCPJ to question all personnel, after which the case will be sent to us.”

The case has renewed concerns over corruption and the integrity of Haiti’s passport system, long criticized for weak oversight.

Fénélon’s lawyer, Iswick Théophin, denounced the arrest as politically motivated, saying he has not been formally informed of the charges. He also questioned the prosecutor’s decision to delegate authority to the DCPJ, arguing it lacks jurisdiction in the matter.

“They were deprived of their freedom,” Théophin told local media. “This is a political maneuver to remove the director general under the pretext of passport fraud.”

Recurring allegations and anti-corruption probe

The investigation adds to a pattern of recurring corruption allegations within Haiti’s passport system. According to local media reports, including Le Nouvelliste, the Ministry of the Interior — which oversees the DIE — alerted judicial authorities and supported an operation to uncover the alleged network. Investigators are focusing on the issuance of passports using tax identification numbers (NIF) that do not match applicants, particularly for foreign nationals.

The case echoes a May 2025 scandal involving ex-immigration director Stéphane Vincent. Haiti’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) alleged that, in less than four months, Vincent authorized 556 passports without required tax payments, causing an estimated $28,120 loss to the state.

The ULCC said Vincent and several officials used a fraudulent account under the alias “Fernando Victor” to validate applications without processing payments through the treasury. Despite recommendations for prosecution and sanctions, including asset freezes, no charges have been publicly announced. Vincent is believed to be living in the United States. In an email to The Haitian Times in May 2025, however, he denied any wrong doing during his short tenure as the DIE.

The Haitian Network of Anti-Corruption Journalists (RHAJAC) said the latest case may involve fees of up to $5,000 to expedite passports for Haitians and as much as $50,000 for foreign nationals. The Haitian Times could not independently verify those claims.

RHAJAC warned the alleged scheme poses a serious national security risk, citing reports that passports may have been issued to individuals from neighboring countries and beyond.

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