Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito has dismissed claims that many Haitians in this country are armed. “Neither with a legal permit nor in a general sense,” he stated, in reply to a question about a warning from the Minister of Interior and Police, Jose Ramon Fadul, who said that all Haitians who possess illegal weapons would be disarmed of their firearms or knives. The AG referred to the incident in the 27 de Febrero barrio in Santo Domingo where a Haitian was killed, saying “a regrettable incident occurred, where apparently there was an excess and police abuse, and where also there was an unacceptable abuse against authority by a group of people.”
He said that these people took actions that are not tolerated in a state of law. “This is to say, that there were two mistakes, two violations of the law and both have to be punished, this is my position.” Dominguez Brito said that they could never permit stones to be thrown at the authorities. He also revealed the existence of information concerning an alleged “toll” (a Dominican euphemism for payoffs) and extortion by police agents, as reported in Diario Libre.