ARTICLE - GANG MONEY CIRCULATING FREELY

HAITI - INSECURITY: GANG MONEY CIRCULATES FREELY
(HaitiLibre) -

At a press briefing on Thursday, Frantz Thermilus Commissioner of the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ), as part of the fight against money laundering conducted by this department, has launched an appeal to various financial institutions, in order that they fulfill their obligations, especially the commercial banks; that they provide a better collaboration to enable the police to arrest the bandits and traffickers and combat among others the kidnapping.

"How can the police effectively combat kidnapping when financial institutions have failed in their duties. Rules of the Unit for Combating Corruption (ULCC) and the Central Financial Intelligence Unit (UCREF) oblige commercial banks and others, to provide information on all transactions, deposits or withdrawals made ​​by a person, for an amount exceeding US$10,000". The Commissioner strongly condemns, the negligence of some stakeholders of the national life : financial institutions, banks, car dealers, notaries and others... According to Frantz Thermilus, money laundering is a key factor in the organization of kidnapping and other illegal activities.

The Commissioner of the DCPJ cited as an example, the case of a former CIMO officer, Walter Saint Juste who is on the run, wanted by the police. "The former officer has paid cash for a car at a price of $32,800 dollars. The next day, that same person bought another car for the same amount. The car dealer, which I do not want to list the name, did not even take care to inform the authorities about such transactions. Gangs are using rental cars to commit their crimes. I am in possession of a list of 17 rental vehicles that have been used in cases of kidnapping," he added.

Frantz Thermilus reported that between 2008 and 2010, the DCPJ had instructed the Bureau of Economic and Financial Affairs, to investigate money laundering. "Goods in kind and in cash, estimated at 70 million U.S. dollars have been seized, and more than forty houses [of trafficking] are not included in the $ 70 million". He indicated that during this same period, 49 arrests were made​​, 45 people were sent to the Haitian justice system and 4 delivered to the U.S. Government.

Thermilus said that there is a strong upsurge in acts of kidnapping in the country [8cases since the beginning of April] and it is almost impossible for the police to combat this phenomenon, if the stakeholders of the national life and the population do not play their roles. "Kidnapping is an affair of state" and it is the concern of all.