Haiti inaugurates two specialist judicial chambers to combat corruption and mass crimes
Haiti has inaugurated two new judicial poles to prosecute complex financial crimes and mass atrocities, with support from UN agencies.
Haiti inaugurates two specialist judicial chambers to combat corruption and mass crimes
On 27 May, Haiti officially launched two dedicated judicial bodies aimed at combating the country's most serious offences, according to the Office on Drugs and Crime.
One chamber will focus on complex financial offences, including corruption, money laundering and misappropriation of funds. The second will prosecute mass atrocities such as arms trafficking, organ trafficking and sexual violence. Officials assert that these units aim to address two major gaps in impunity: the misappropriation of public funds and grave violations against civilians.
Haiti has long struggled with extreme violence from armed factions, which has produced one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Approximately 11 per cent of the population is displaced, and criminal networks are increasingly recruiting children for combat. Corruption and illicit financial flows are considered to be both fuelling and facilitating this instability, channelling resources towards gangs and weakening state institutions.
Ordinary courts have historically lacked the expertise, continuity and security necessary to bring complex cases to completion. The new chambers are intended to overcome these obstacles.
The UNODC and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights supported this initiative. The UNODC trained prosecutors, judges and investigators assigned to the chambers, as well as members of Haiti's Special Anti-Corruption Force, the Central Financial Intelligence Unit, the National Police and other monitoring bodies. The agency also adapted its global corruption investigation guide to the Haitian context and distributed more than 170 computers and laptops to anti-corruption institutions.
Future support will include the development of standard procedures, mentoring, secure case management software and logistical assistance.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)