Haiti Charges Council Members in Bribery Case

Haiti's anti-corruption agency has charged five prominent individuals, including three members of the interim governing council, with bribery and abuse of office in a scandal involving the chairman of a state-owned bank. The accused council members, Smith Augustin, Louis Gérald Gilles, and Emmanuel Vertilaire, allegedly demanded over $750,000 from former bank director Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis to secure his position. The report details a meeting where credit cards with generous limits were offered in lieu of the bribe, raising concerns about the misuse of public funds. The agency has requested the extradition of Pierre-Louis from the U.S. as he faces accusations of obstructing justice and instigating bribe payments. This scandal emerges amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti, potentially destabilizing the transitional government. The council members have denied the allegations, and the investigation highlights serious integrity issues within Haiti's political landscape.