By Robenson Geffard, Le Nouvelliste, Dec. 2, 2024
This week the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) has been under a lot of pressure from some members of the international community and some Haitian actors. They all want the TPC to remove the three members implicated in the BNC corruption scandal or to resign.
Several presidential advisers told Le Nouvelliste that these pressures had effectively paralyzed the TPCs activities. "But we have concluded that the Council cannot dismiss any of its members," they said. "There is no legal provision to do so."
Louis Gérald Gilles, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Smith Augustin are more comfortable than ever in their positions at the Presidential Council. The members of the Transitional Presidential Council remain united and supportive. The president of the CPT, Leslie Voltaire and the other members refuse, for the moment, to give in to pressure to remove their colleagues involved in the BNC corruption scandal, the file of which is currently before the investigating office.
"Faced with pressure from Haiti and abroad, Leslie Voltaire expressed his embarrassment to the three advisors concerned, asking them to make the decision themselves. Voltaire presented them with two options. First, if they remained in their position insisting on their innocence, Voltaire suggested the they delegate their voting rights to the three other presidential advisors (Edgard Leblanc, for example, isolated himself from the TPC). Voltaire also offered another scenario, suggesting they distance themselves from the Council," an advisor familiar with the situation told Le Nouvelliste.
The TPC was paralyzed for several days this week. "On Thursday, November 28, we held a meeting. The three presidential advisers concerned maintain that the TPC has no mechanism to remove them from the Council. Leslie Voltaire asked the three advisers concerned to take responsibility," the source explained.
Gilles, Vertilaire and Augustin remain in their posts and retain all their rights and privileges "while awaiting the decision of the investigating judge in charge of the investigation into the corruption scandal at the BNC", our cource explained.
Another member of the TPC told Le Nouvelliste that nothing has yet been decided on the fate of the three presidential advisers. A meeting is planned for this Monday, December 2, and it is possible that the point will be on the agenda, he said, stressing that a Council of Ministers is scheduled for Wednesday, December 4.
Paradoxically, the members of the TPC involved in the corruption scandal claim that the investigating judge does not have the jurisdiction to hear them in this case given that they have the status of presidents of the Republic, but say that they are waiting for the decisions of the courts...
According to our source, investigating judge Benjamin Felismé, "exceeded his authority by inviting presidential advisor Louis Gérald Gilles to his office on November 19." The latter's lawyers reportedly wrote to the magistrate to advise him that he was not competent to invite a President of the Republic, our sources report.
Contacted Saturday evening by Le Nouvelliste, presidential advisor Louis Gérald Gilles would neither confirm nor deny whether he had been invited by the investigating judge in charge of the BNC corruption scandal.
While legal experts claim that Gilles, Vertilaire and Augustin are currently accused in the BNC corruption scandal, the latter believe the opposite. They believe that they were never supposed to respond to the invitations of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) in its investigation into the BNC scandal.
During the meeting on Monday, December 2, the TPC will also discuss changes in 15 general directorates of the public administration. "We are not going to make changes in all the general directorates. About 15 of them are concerned, such as the BMPAD, Customs, among others," according to our sources at the CPT.
The Presidential Council will also make changes in delegations, vice-delegations and town halls across the country. "Since the TPC took office, we have had no relations with any delegate or vice-delegate, since Garry Conille retained the Ministry of the Interior and Local Authorities. More than thirty municipal administrations are dysfunctional," our sources indicated, emphasizing that the CPT will also make appointments at this level.
Posted Dec. 18, 2024