Police officials never moved against him
despite kidnapping victim’s complaint
despite kidnapping victim’s complaint
by
Kim Ives (Haiti Liberte)
Kim Ives (Haiti Liberte)
Heavily
armed assailants gunned down Police Division Inspector Yves Michel Bellefleur
in a hail of bullets on the morning of Fri., Nov. 9 near the Gérald Bataille
circle in Tabarre.
armed assailants gunned down Police Division Inspector Yves Michel Bellefleur
in a hail of bullets on the morning of Fri., Nov. 9 near the Gérald Bataille
circle in Tabarre.
A police spokesman and some media
have presented the killing as a response from criminals to the Oct. 22 arrest
of prominent Haitian businessman Clifford Brandt and several others – including
policemen and ex-policemen – for kidnapping.
have presented the killing as a response from criminals to the Oct. 22 arrest
of prominent Haitian businessman Clifford Brandt and several others – including
policemen and ex-policemen – for kidnapping.
However, a former police official
told Haïti Liberté that Inspector
Bellefleur was in fact working with Clifford Brandt’s criminal organization and
led a kidnapping ring based in the police station of Pernier, which, not
coincidentally, is the same neighborhood that Clifford Brandt’s abductees,
Coralie and Nicolas Moscoso, were found and freed (see Haïti Liberté, Oct. 31, 2012).
told Haïti Liberté that Inspector
Bellefleur was in fact working with Clifford Brandt’s criminal organization and
led a kidnapping ring based in the police station of Pernier, which, not
coincidentally, is the same neighborhood that Clifford Brandt’s abductees,
Coralie and Nicolas Moscoso, were found and freed (see Haïti Liberté, Oct. 31, 2012).
Most alarmingly, a kidnapping victim
of Bellefleur had denounced the cop and some of his associates to the Haitian
National Police (PNH) immediately following his release last April, but
apparently no action was ever taken.
of Bellefleur had denounced the cop and some of his associates to the Haitian
National Police (PNH) immediately following his release last April, but
apparently no action was ever taken.
“I think that Bellefleur was rubbed
out because, if he was arrested, he might have revealed the names of powerful
people, as Brandt is maybe doing now,” said the former police official, who
requested anonymity.
out because, if he was arrested, he might have revealed the names of powerful
people, as Brandt is maybe doing now,” said the former police official, who
requested anonymity.
A few hours later in the afternoon
of Nov. 9, another policeman, Johnby Mathieu, was shot dead by unidentified
armed men near the police outpost at Portail Saint-Joseph, in the capital’s
commercial center.
of Nov. 9, another policeman, Johnby Mathieu, was shot dead by unidentified
armed men near the police outpost at Portail Saint-Joseph, in the capital’s
commercial center.
“These assassinations are happening
in a context of struggle against major criminality,” said Frantz Lerebours, the
PNH’s spokesman.
in a context of struggle against major criminality,” said Frantz Lerebours, the
PNH’s spokesman.
The lack of action against Bellefleur
reflects, at the very least, negligence on the part of the PNH’s former
Director General Mario Andrésol and his successor Godson Orélus, who replaced
Andrésol on Aug. 15, 2012.
reflects, at the very least, negligence on the part of the PNH’s former
Director General Mario Andrésol and his successor Godson Orélus, who replaced
Andrésol on Aug. 15, 2012.
“In April 2012, Emane ‘Jacques’
Jean-Louis, the owner of Sourire Rent-a-Car in the capital’s Tabarre district,
was kidnapped,” reported Haïti Liberté on
Aug. 15, 2012. “His family eventually paid the kidnappers about $800,000 in
ransom, and he was freed. But, immediately following his release, Emane took
legal action against the PNH for the involvement of police officers in his
kidnapping, according to the former high-ranking police official who requested
that he not be named. Emane provided the license plate number of a police
vehicle used and the names of several of the policemen involved. Up until now,
there has been no action by the police to arrest any of those that Emane
accuses of having helped kidnap him.”
Jean-Louis, the owner of Sourire Rent-a-Car in the capital’s Tabarre district,
was kidnapped,” reported Haïti Liberté on
Aug. 15, 2012. “His family eventually paid the kidnappers about $800,000 in
ransom, and he was freed. But, immediately following his release, Emane took
legal action against the PNH for the involvement of police officers in his
kidnapping, according to the former high-ranking police official who requested
that he not be named. Emane provided the license plate number of a police
vehicle used and the names of several of the policemen involved. Up until now,
there has been no action by the police to arrest any of those that Emane
accuses of having helped kidnap him.”
In his complaint, Jean-Louis
denounced Inspector Bellefleur as the leader of the kidnappers based in the
Pernier police station.
denounced Inspector Bellefleur as the leader of the kidnappers based in the
Pernier police station.
Haïti
Liberté asked Chief Orélus about Jean-Louis’s complaint again in a Sep.
16 interview. “We have zero tolerance”
for cops found to be involved in kidnapping, Orélus responded. “When we find
them, we arrest them, and we put them in prison.”
Liberté asked Chief Orélus about Jean-Louis’s complaint again in a Sep.
16 interview. “We have zero tolerance”
for cops found to be involved in kidnapping, Orélus responded. “When we find
them, we arrest them, and we put them in prison.”
The question remains: did either
Orélus or Andrésol investigate Jean-Louis’s complaint. If not, why not? If so,
why wasn’t he arrested?
Orélus or Andrésol investigate Jean-Louis’s complaint. If not, why not? If so,
why wasn’t he arrested?
“Bellefleur was working alongside
Clifford Brandt in kidnappings,” said the former police official. “Six months ago,
Emane Jean-Louis gave to authorities, in a formal complaint, the names of the
policemen, including that of Yves Michel Bellefleur, who kidnapped him. Why was
nothing ever done to arrest them? It seems it wasn’t until the Moscoso kids
were kidnapped that the police took any action, and that was apparently only
done because the U.S. authorities became involved.”
Clifford Brandt in kidnappings,” said the former police official. “Six months ago,
Emane Jean-Louis gave to authorities, in a formal complaint, the names of the
policemen, including that of Yves Michel Bellefleur, who kidnapped him. Why was
nothing ever done to arrest them? It seems it wasn’t until the Moscoso kids
were kidnapped that the police took any action, and that was apparently only
done because the U.S. authorities became involved.”
On Nov. 13, Mario Andrésol gave an
interview to Radio Kiskeya to denounce the death threats he claims have been
made against him and the Internet rumors that he was placed under house arrest.
He dismissed rumors that he had been interrogated by FBI agents, who are
presently in Haiti, about the Brandt affair. Andrésol said that his security
detail had been reinforced by the PNH because of death-threats he has received
in recent weeks.
interview to Radio Kiskeya to denounce the death threats he claims have been
made against him and the Internet rumors that he was placed under house arrest.
He dismissed rumors that he had been interrogated by FBI agents, who are
presently in Haiti, about the Brandt affair. Andrésol said that his security
detail had been reinforced by the PNH because of death-threats he has received
in recent weeks.
Andrésol also saluted “the memory”
of the late Inspector Bellefleur. Is it really possible that he was unaware of
Emane Jean-Louis’s complaint against Bellefleur?
of the late Inspector Bellefleur. Is it really possible that he was unaware of
Emane Jean-Louis’s complaint against Bellefleur?
When he was riddled with bullets,
Bellefleur was still the head of the Pernier police station, located near the
old military academy on the northern fringes of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Bellefleur was still the head of the Pernier police station, located near the
old military academy on the northern fringes of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
“Bellefleur had just dropped his
children at school, he was in civilian clothes, and he was killed by gunmen
traveling in a vehicle with tinted windows and a ‘service of the state’
[government] license plate” said PNH spokesman Lerebours. According to
witnesses at the scene, Bellefleur was hit by many bullets, his attackers had
automatic weapons, and they were in a Toyota all-terrain vehicle, commonly
called in Haiti a “Zoreken” (Shark bone).
children at school, he was in civilian clothes, and he was killed by gunmen
traveling in a vehicle with tinted windows and a ‘service of the state’
[government] license plate” said PNH spokesman Lerebours. According to
witnesses at the scene, Bellefleur was hit by many bullets, his attackers had
automatic weapons, and they were in a Toyota all-terrain vehicle, commonly
called in Haiti a “Zoreken” (Shark bone).
According to Radio Vision 2000,
Lerebours said on Nov. 13 that “the first elements in the police investigation”
into Bellefleur’s murder “reveal links with organized crime networks in the
country,” but he “was still not able to say whether it involved [Brandt’s]
powerful gang network recently dismantled by the police.”
Lerebours said on Nov. 13 that “the first elements in the police investigation”
into Bellefleur’s murder “reveal links with organized crime networks in the
country,” but he “was still not able to say whether it involved [Brandt’s]
powerful gang network recently dismantled by the police.”
Are the police incapable of
establishing the links between Bellefleur and Brandt’s organization, or are
they trying to cover-up the links?
establishing the links between Bellefleur and Brandt’s organization, or are
they trying to cover-up the links?
Meanwhile, PNH spokesman Lerebours
told the press that Johnby Mathieu, 29, was an Agent I with the Central Command
of Street Police (DCPR). He was killed by four bullets, two in the throat, two
in his arms. Mathieu had graduated with the PNH’s 21st promotion. He
was dressed in civilian clothes when shot by assailants who got away. Justice
of the peace Fritz Dilia inspected the crime scene before the body was removed.
told the press that Johnby Mathieu, 29, was an Agent I with the Central Command
of Street Police (DCPR). He was killed by four bullets, two in the throat, two
in his arms. Mathieu had graduated with the PNH’s 21st promotion. He
was dressed in civilian clothes when shot by assailants who got away. Justice
of the peace Fritz Dilia inspected the crime scene before the body was removed.
Division Inspector Yves Michel Bellefleur
was the leader of a kidnapping ring in the police, according to one of his
alleged victims. Assailants shot the cop dead on Nov. 9.
was the leader of a kidnapping ring in the police, according to one of his
alleged victims. Assailants shot the cop dead on Nov. 9.
