Haiti remains in the grip of interconnected political, humanitarian and security crises. Extreme violence by armed gangs, including murder, kidnapping and sexual violence, have given the country one of the world’s highest homicide rates. 11 per cent of the Haitian population remains displaced and living in dire conditions, while children are increasingly recruited by gangs and used in combat.
Corruption and financial crimes are both drivers and enablers of these crises. Illicit financial flows, diversion or mismanagement of public funds, bribery, money laundering and more weaken the country’s economy and funnel funds to gangs and armed groups, thereby exacerbating instability.
While concerns regarding possible state corruption and alleged links between a diverse set of actors and criminal groups have featured in several high-profile cases, Haiti’s ordinary courts have lacked the specialization, the continuity and the protection needed to carry complex financial and mass-crime cases through to judgment.
These crimes are particularly complex because they often involve hidden financial flows; links between public officials, private actors and armed groups; weak or fragmented institutional records; and serious security risks for investigators, prosecutors, judges and witnesses.
For this reason, on 27 May, Haiti formally inaugurated its two specialized judicial chambers — one for complex financial crimes (including corruption and money laundering), and another for mass crimes (including arms trafficking, organ trafficking and sexual violence).
Together, the poles address the two faces of impunity in Haiti: the diversion of public resources, and grave violations committed against its citizens.
“The establishment of specialized judicial poles is a significant step towards a modern, strong justice system, firmly committed to fighting corruption and violence,” noted Magistrat Marthel Jean Claude.
"In a context where the handling of mass crimes and economic offences is becoming increasingly complex in Haiti, the creation of specialized judicial poles stands out as a new mechanism to consolidate the rule of law," added Magistrat Johnson Melse.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), together with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), supported Haiti in the establishment of the two Poles. UNODC provided training for the prosecutors (Comissaires de Gouverments) and judges , designated to serve in the Pôles. Other officials trained on anti-corruption measures include the investigators, analysists and auditors forming the Anti-corruption Task Force (ULCC), Central Unit of Financial Intelligence (UCREF), National Commission of Public Procurement(CNMP), National police (BAFE), and the Inspector-General of Finances (IGF) in Haiti.
UNODC has also adapted its global Practical Guide on the Investigation of Corruption Cases to the Haiti to account for its unique national and legal contexts, now available for legal practitioners in French and Creole. Specific modules delivered over the past year included financial analysis and asset tracing, money-laundering investigations, international cooperation (mutual legal assistance), ethical and effective investigative interviewing and operational risk management.
Finally, UNODC provided the anti-corruption institutions, including the Poles, with over 170 computers and laptops.
UNODC’s support for the Poles will now focus on developing standard operating procedures and investigation methodologies; continuous training; technical assistance and mentoring; secure case-management software and digitization. Logistical support for the Poles’ equipment and energy needs will also be provided.
