Haiti’s Former President's Widow Indicted In Connection To His Assassination
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: First Lady of Haiti, Martine Moïse speaks onstage during Fashion 4 Development's 9th Annual Official First Ladies Luncheon at The Pierre Hotel on September 24, 2019 in New York City.
Martine Moïse, the widow of Haiti's former President Jovenel Moïse has been indicted in connection to the assassination of her husband.
In a 122-page document from the fifth judge overseeing the investigation (due to previous presiding judges stepping down for various reasons, including fear of being killed) also includes former Prime Minister Claude Joseph, former chief of Haiti's National Police Leon Charles and dozens others.
The assassination of President Moïse occurred on July 7, 2021. At his presidential residence, two dozen armed men infiltrated the compound, fatally shooting Moïse 12 times. His wife, Martine, also sustained multiple gunshot wounds, but survived the ordeal.
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According to a document publicly disclosed by the Haitian news site AyiboPost on Monday, Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire asserted that Martine conspired with the former prime minister to orchestrate the replacement of the president.
The 51 individuals listed in the indictment are confronting a spectrum of charges, including complicity and criminal association, armed robbery, terrorism, assassination, and crimes committed against former President Jovenel Moïse, as indicated in the order. The document asserts that there is "serious and sufficient evidence" against those named in the indictment.
Haiti's President Jovenel Moise (C) and his wife, First Lady Martine Moise (2-L), arrive at the National Assembly to attend the inauguration of Ecuadorean President-elect Guillermo Lasso, in Quito on May 24, 2021.
PBY&A, the legal representation for Martine, claims her innocence.
"She has no motivation for this attack, and her inclusion is supposedly based on her imperfect memory of the most traumatic night of her life," the statement read. "There is no basis in law or fact for Mrs. Moise to be charged for this crime and including her in this indictment is an embarrassment that further calls into question the legitimacy of the current Haitian government."
"We will vigorously defend against these ridiculous and unjust charges against Mrs. Moise," declared Paul Turner, a partner at PBY&A representing Mrs. Moïse, in a statement to CNN.
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A month after her husband's assassination, Martine recounted the details of the attack to CNN when the former president was killed. She called on the UN to assist in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
"Once they shot the president, that's when I thought, 'It's over for both of us.' And I closed my eyes, you know, I didn't think about anything else," she said. "I thought, 'It's over. This our last day.' "
The judge overseeing the case has called for the arrest and trials of all individuals named in the charges.
