Officers make another arrest in assassination of Haiti’s president
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haiti’s police chief announced Sunday that officers have arrested a Haitian man accused of flying into the country on a private jet and working with the masterminds and alleged assassins behind the killing of President Jovenel Moise.
Police chief Leon Charles identified the suspect as Christian Emmanuel Sanon, without giving any personal information about him.
Charles said officers found several items at the man’s house, including a hat emblazoned with the logo of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 20 boxes of bullets, gun parts, four automobile license plates from the Dominican Republic, two cars and correspondence with unidentified people.
It was not immediately clear if the man had an attorney.
Charles said a total of 26 Colombians are suspected in the killing of the president before dawn Wednesday. Eighteen of them have been arrested, along with three Haitians. He said five of the suspects are still at large and at least three have been killed.
The chief said police are working with high-ranking Colombian officials to identify details of the alleged plot, including when the suspects left Colombia and who paid for their tickets. Prosecutors have requested that high-profile politicians including presidential candidate Reginald Boulos and former Haitian Senate President Youri Latortue meet officials for questioning as the investigation continues.
Authorities also said they plan to interview at least two members of Moise’s security detail.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Haitians sought solace in prayer at Sunday church services as a political power struggle threatened to further destabilize their fragile country.
Roman Catholic and Protestant church leaders asked for calm and told people to remain strong as anxiety about the future grew, with authorities providing no answers or theories about who masterminded the killing by a group of gunmen early Wednesday at the president’s home. Martine Moise, the president’s wife, was critically injured and was transported to Miami for treatment.
“Facing this situation, we will not be discouraged… You must stay and fight for peace,” the Rev. Edwine Sainte-Louis said during a sermon broadcast on TV that included a small picture of Moise with a banner that read: “Haiti will remember you.”
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is currently leading Haiti with the help of the police and military, but he faces mounting challenges to his power.
Ariel Henry, whom Moise designated as prime minister a day before he was killed, has said he believes he is the rightful prime minister, a claim also backed by a group of legislators who are members of Moise’s Tet Kale party. That group also supports Joseph Lambert, head of Haiti’s dismantled Senate, as the country’s provisional president.
Haiti, a country of more than 11 million people, currently has only 10 elected officials after it failed to hold parliamentary elections, leading Moise to rule by decree for more than a year until his death.
While the streets were calm on Sunday, government officials worry about what lies ahead and have requested U.S. and U.N. military assistance.
Pentagon chief spokesman John Kirby said on Fox News Sunday that the Pentagon is analyzing the request to send troops to Haiti and that no decisions have been made. He said a team, largely comprising agents from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, were heading down to Haiti “right now” to help with the investigation of the assassination.