Haiti’s former first lady, Martine Moise, has been indicted in the Assassination of her husband, President Jovenel Moise, after being accused of wanting the job for herself.
Moise was included in a 70-person indictment recommendation from the capital’s top prosecutor, according to reports.
Judge Walther Voltaire reviewed the prosecutor’s documents and indicted Moise, the former prime minister and police chief.
However, Moise is not accused of planning her husband’s shooting in July 2021.
But the judge accused her of being complicit in her husband’s death, saying he contradictions in Moïse’s statements.
The Daily Mail reported:
The judge referred to testimony from two defendants who claimed she wanted to run for president after the killing, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Her lawyer has denied the allegations, and a separate U.S. Department of Justice investigation reportedly has not issued any evidence suggesting her involvement.
“We do not believe that she is or could ever be a suspect in the case,” said Moise’s lawyer, Paul Turner.
“She was a victim, just like her children that were there, and her husband.”
According to other legal analysts, the widow was a victim of Haiti’s corrupt political system.
Meanwhile, investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and Haitian prosecutors resulted in separate charges.
Others claim the indictment is politically motivated.
Former president Jovenal Moise was killed on July 7, 2021, by a gang of Colombian hitmen hired by a Miami-based security company.
His security came under fire for allegedly allowing the assassins into the presidential residence , while police failed to arrive in time after Moise called for 911.
The president was severely beaten before being shot and killed, while the first lady was also shot in the arms and thigh.
Following the killing, Haiti descended into chaos as political violence took over the nation’s government.
No elections were ever carried out to replace Moise.
The nation’s prime minister took over, along with the second and current interim leader, Ariel Henry, who is accused of being involved in the Assassination.
Others are also facing charges for the Assassination.
CBS News reported:
Others who face charges including murder are Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian-American pastor who visualized himself as Haiti’s next president and said he thought Moïse was only going to be arrested; Joseph Vincent, a Haitian-American and former informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Dimitri Hérard, presidential security chief; John Joël Joseph, a former Haitian senator; and Windelle Coq, a Haitian senator whom authorities say is a fugitive.
Sanon, Vincent and Joseph were extradited to the U.S., where a total of 11 suspects face federal charges in the slaying of Haiti’s president.
Meanwhile, more than 40 suspects are languishing in prison in Haiti awaiting trial, although it was not immediately clear how quickly one would be held following the judge’s findings issued Monday.
The report released Monday said:
“We were able to discover with insight the degree of participation and the role of each of the groups of delinquents who joined together under the influence of Machiavellian plans developed between authors, co-authors, accomplices and henchmen for the purposes of assassinating President Jovenel Moïse.”
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