ARTICLE - JOAZILE -PREMATURE FOR ARREST

JOAZILE CONSIDERS PREMATURE THE REQUEST FOR THE ARREST OF ARNEL BELIZAIRE
(Haiti Libre) -

Senator Jean Rodolphe Joazile, President of the Senate, stated yesterday Tuesday that the request made by Mr. Felix Léger, the Government Commissioner of Port-au-Prince, to the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ), to arrest Deputy Arnel Bélizaire, was unwelcome and premature.

Senator Joazile stated that Arnel Bélizaire benefits from parliamentary immunity and that the law clearly defines the procedure to waive this immunity. In addition, the President of the Senate, stated that Deputy Bélizaire has recently been informed by the justice that he has been cleared for acts alleged against him.

"I do not know how the file was submitted at the level of the Chamber of Deputies [...], but if it is the Government Commissioner who wants to reproach something to the parliamentarian, he must ask the Minister of Justice to write to the President of the Assembly to waive the immunity. At that time, the President presents the case to the Assembly and gives it to a special commission that will investigate and decide.

There is a concept in law, that perhaps the Government Commissioner is tempted to use, to be able to justify his position, but that many great jurists have rejected,.. that's what we call in law, the frlgrance continues [...] the deputy has received a certificate from the DCPJ, a certificate from a court, so the deputy we are talking about is someone who is is deemed to be of good character [in the eyes of the law]. I heard someone tell me that the deputy had a decision that was rendered in his favor [...] If the Commissioner of the Government acts without even giving the deputy an opportunity to submit the paper that he have in hand, I think that it's too premature"

Deputy Bélizaire, who is currently in Paris formally denied at the beginning of the week the charges against him, charges supported by the National Network for Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) in Haiti. The member intends to return to the country to establish the truth.

For his part, Mr. Camille Leblanc, former lawyer of Deputy Bélizaire believes that we are "delirious" and in the presence of a clear case of violation of the law at the service of the Head of State. He strongly denounces the decision of the prosecution, stating that the Commissioner has no authority to request the waiver of the immunity for the deputy. In addition, he says that he found that since the introduction of the new Government, the Prosecutor of Port-au-Prince has granted himself powers that the law does not give him. He stated that Arnel Bélizaire, was tried and convicted for illegal possession of weapons and was subsequently released after spending 18 months in custody. For the lawyer, this case is closed.

Sorel Jacinthe and several other parliamentarians denounce the attempt of taking control of the judicial system by the Power in place and discarsds the idea to follow the proceedings designed to waive the immunity of their colleague.