ARTICLE - REPORT ON JACMEL ONA CASE

CORRUPTION AT THE REGIONAL OFFICE OF ONA JACMEL - REPORT OF RESEDH
(Haiti Libre) -

For more than two weeks, the case of embezzlement at the Office National Old Age Insurance (ONA), of Jacmel has made the headlines. This October 3 the South East Network for the Defence of Human Rights (RESEDH), departmental structure of the RNDDH issued a report on the issue, explaining what really happened, ... who is involved, ....who is laid off...

Corruption at the regional office of the ONA Jacmel.
Justice of Jacmel launches arrest warrants: the RESEDH is concerned and calls for the intervention of the ULCC and the Superior Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes.

Context
From September 12 to 14, 2011 a delegation of the Directorate General of ONA headed by the Director General Mr. Alix Boyer was in Jacmel in order to conduct an audit at the southeast regional office.

This audit was requested, according to the Director General by a verification commission of the national office about two weeks before, and which found serious anomalies in the management of the departmental team, led by Mr. Ernaud Jeudy, the Regional Director and Mr. Hector Noel, the Deputy Director.

The result of this audit revealed that a significant amount estimated at about 13 million gourds has been "hijacked" by employees of ONA who are the Regional Director and his accomplices. Recalling that this sum represents the contribution of small public and private sector employees of the Department of Southeast collected by inspectors of the institution.

The real situation
After two days of the audit from September 12 to 14, 2011, the Director General of the ONA Mr Alix Boyer awkwardly announced via the press, the diversion of more than $13 million gourds at the regional office of ONA in Jacmel. According to him, the operations that facilitated the misappropriation of funds were conducted by a team of employees at the ONA level and individuals who do not work at the institution who are friends, close relatives of the employees involved and with the connivance of employees of the BNC.

The regional staff involved in the embezzlement of more than 13 million gourds are:

1- Mr. Ernaud Jeudy : Regional Director of the ONA
2- Mr. Hector Noël : Deputy Regional Director of the ONA
3- Ms. Kerline Simbert : Regional staff of ONA and concubine of the Regional Director
4- Octave Villasson : Regional employee of the ONA

To carry out their plans: they had with them employees of some banks in the city of Jacmel and other friends and relatives drawing large sums from the bank.... citizen Cimbert Josué bank security guard, brother of Ms. Kerline Simbert.

The file is transferred to the Judicial Investigation Office of the jurisdiction of Jacmel. 10 warrants were issued against some employees of the regional office by the courts of Jacmel against: Mr. Hector Noël, Ms. Kerline Simbert and Mr. Octave Villasson... and others involved whose names remain unknown to the general public. For Mr. Ernaud Jeudy the main person concerned in the embezzlement, no warrant has been issued against him.

Administrative measures of layoff without pay for three months were also taken by Mr. Alix Boyer Director General of the ONA against about seven employees of the regional office... among them :

Mr. Hector Noël: Deputy Director, for his alleged involvement in embezzlement
Ms. Kerline Simbert: position at the regional office, for her alleged involvement in embezzlement
Mr. Octave Villasson : administrative agent 1, for his alleged involvement in the embezzlement.
Joseph Pierre Samson : Senior Inspector, the oldest of the institution (19 years) for an error in date (September 7 instead of September 8) in a form of recovery.
Jean Michel Fils : Inspector, for an error of date in a daily report.

And according to what is said, Mr. Ernaud Jeudy which has already abandoned his office since September 9, 2011 received a letter of dismissal by the Director General.

Comments
The South East Nework for the Defence of Human Rights wants to remind you that: under the direction of Mr. Sandro Joseph, cases of corruption are also reported to the regional office of Jacmel. And until today the involved are still in the streets of Jacmel and occupy other places in the educational system of the city under the influence of politicians. The eternal victims are still the small taxpayers of government and the private sector of the Department.

This situation of corruption with Director Ernaud Jeudy, has been established at the regional office of Jacmel since 2008. Several warnings were launched to the Directorate General by key employees of the institutiuon, ... but nothing was done.

Even today, the slowness of the Director General of the ONA facilitates the "mise à couvert" of the key employees of the ONA of Jacmel involved in the embezzlement of more than 13 million gourds.

Note that: the office of the ONA Jacmel has increased from 8 employees in 1992 to 54 in 2011. Over 75% have no real position in the office. They have been integrated into the ONA from 2007 under the influence of politicians from the INITE party.

The South East Network for the Defence of Human Rights recommend to the competent authorities of the department :

The strict application of the law against all those involved in one way or another in the misappropriation of funds at the regional office of the ONA of Jacmel. And requires the intervention of the ULCC and the Superior Court of Auditors and Administrative Disputes for further investigation, and more professionals to better define the responsibilities... and avoid the "make believe" that the perpetrators are the victims.