Misappropriation of funds and gangs: Élionor Dévallon to be tried shortly in Port-au-Prince
Former CAS director Élionor Dévallon will appear before the criminal tribunal when judicial activities resume in October. He is accused of misappropriation of funds and financing armed gangs.
Imminent trial for former CAS director accused of misappropriation
The former director of the Caisse d'assistance sociale (CAS), Élionor Dévallon, will shortly be tried before the criminal tribunal sitting without a jury, according to vantbefinfo.com. The trial is expected to open in the weeks following the resumption of judicial activities, scheduled for the first Monday in October.
The government commissioner at the court of first instance in Port-au-Prince, Me Jean Fritz Patterson Dorval, confirmed that the file is now ready to be submitted to the criminal jurisdiction. The Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) must also transfer the three accused — Magalie Habitant, Profane Victor and Élionor Dévallon — to a prison facility in Port-au-Prince, prior to the hearing.
Me Arnel Rémy, attorney for Élionor Dévallon, also confirmed to VBI's editorial team that the case will indeed be heard before the criminal tribunal. He qualifies this step as a "turning point" in the proceedings undertaken to obtain his client's release.
The attorney deplores, however, that the first judge seized of the case initially rejected his request for provisional release. Dévallon is notably accused of misappropriation of public funds and financing the activities of armed gangs — accusations that Me Rémy categorically rejects, qualifying them as "politically motivated". He states that he is continuing proceedings before the competent authorities in order to obtain his client's release.
A hearing is expected during the first week of October, when judicial proceedings officially resume.
Source: Google News HT — Port-au-Prince