The number of police officers involved in the theft of munitions to sell to individuals and criminal organizations in the country and abroad is significant, according to Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful. She revealed that both high-ranking officials and lower-level officers were implicated in the scheme.
“It’s a complex investigation; it’s not just one or two people,” Raful stated. “In due time, the Attorney General Office, following the proper procedures, will inform the public about who these individuals are, their ranks, and how they operated,” she said when asked by journalists for an update.
When the dismantling of this criminal network was initially announced, the ministry had revealed the involvement of both high-ranking and lower-level officers. However, Raful explained that it is now up to state prosecutors to determine the specific criminal liabilities of each individual.
“We cannot jeopardize the investigation,” she added. “We want the necessary evidence to be presented so that all those involved can be tried fairly and justly.”
The scandal involves a significant number of police officers at various ranks. The corrupt arms scheme came about when the Kenyan troops arrived to Haiti and seized weapons from the gangs.
Recently, the government removed Colonel Narciso Feliz Romero as the Firearms Intendent at the National Police. At the time, Police director Major
General Ramón Antonio Guzmán Peralta said it was a routine change. In his place, Colonel Francisco Adolfo Francisco Pimentel was appointed.
El Dia reported that several members of the National Police, accused of being part of a network involved in illegally extracting ammunition from police depots for resale, have deserted the force, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
El Dia said that a source close to the investigation, the deserters are among a group of eight senior and junior officers had vanished before the Ministry of the Interior and Police publicly revealed details of the ongoing probe.
On Thursday, 31 October 2024, authorities issued a statement announcing the dismantling of the criminal network operating within the National Police, following being notified by the UN officials in Haiti.
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Diario Libre
El Dia
14 November 2024