Haiti's PM says mastermind behind assassination of President may still be at large

Haiti’s PM Ariel Henry on August 3 said that the mastermind behind the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse is most likely still at large. According to The New York Times, Henry remains baffled by the motive and also douts that the conspirators accused of plotting the killing had the ability to pull it off on their own. He said that he thinks there were “a lot of people involved” and there were “people with access to a lot of money”. 

“The people they have accused up until now, I don’t see that they have the capacity, the web, to do it,” the PM added. 

According to reports, more than 40 people have been detained after Moïse was shot 12 times and his wife seriously injured by a group of assailants who stormed into their bedroom in early July. The Haitian police and the prosecutor’s office continue to issue warrants of new suspects on a near-daily basis. Last month, the officials even accused a former Supreme Court judge over her links to the assassination. 

Now, it appears the assailants had planned for months in Florida and Haiti and involved flying in two dozen Colombian ex-commandos to the country. Henry, who was appointed by Moïse shortly before his death, said that he remained baffled by the crime’s ultimate motive. The Prime Minister said that he thinks he is at risk too from the people who killed the president. “Could they do it again? I don’t know,” Henry added. 

The Prime Minister went on to say that his prime goal now was to hold free and fair elections to stabilize the country. He said that he was in talks with political parties and civil leaders to appoint a new electoral board and draft a new constitution that will be presented to voters for approval. Further, Henry even promised to improve Haiti’s dire security crisis before the vote. But he added that he would not run for office in the elections. 

President’s widow recounts assassination 

The PM comments come after the Haitian police arrested Jean Laguel Civil, who served as general security coordinator when Moïse was killed in the middle of the night at his private residence. Police are still looking for various suspects, including a former rebel leader and an ex-Haitian senator. But it remains unclear who organized and financed the plot that included recruiting former Colombian special forces soldiers and at least two Florida-based companies.

Meanwhile, the wife of the slain Haitian President said the men who murdered her husband also believed they had killed her in the assassination. In her first interview since the assassination, Martine Moïse told The New York Times about the terrifying moments when gunmen burst into their home, shot her and then killed the president before rifling through her husband’s files looking for something. Martine revealed that the killers eventually found what they were looking for, and made cursory efforts on their way out to see if she was still alive. 

(Image: AP)