Presidential widow in Haiti accused of murdering Roman retired robber arrested after 50 years “in office.”

More than two and a half years after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, 51 suspected accomplices have been charged in the Caribbean state, including the head of state’s widow, Martine Moïse, according to media reports. She was shot during the attack. The suspects also include then Prime Minister Claude Joseph, then police chief Léon Charles and the head of Moïse’s bodyguard. This is evident from the 122-page indictment against the responsible investigating judge, which the portal “AyiboPost” published on Monday and from which other media quoted.

Moïse was killed with twelve shots in his home on the night of July 7, 2021. According to the investigation, approximately twenty Colombian mercenaries committed the crime on behalf of various masterminds. According to the American legal system, the conspirators’ original plan was to kidnap Moïse and replace him as head of state.

These are the first charges in Haiti in the case. In the American state of Florida, where the attack was partly planned, eleven suspects have already been charged and four of them have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The background to the crime has still not been conclusively clarified.

Martine Moïse is accused of conspiracy to commit murder. She allegedly stated, among other things, that she hid under a bed during the attack. However, the opening under the bed was not high enough for this, the judge wrote. According to the New York Times, her lawyer dismissed the allegations before the indictment and told the newspaper that his client was in hiding.

Shortly after the assassination, interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry took over the government of Haiti. There have been no elections since then and the country has no president or parliament. Brutal gangs control most of the capital Port-au-Prince. An international police operation approved by the UN Security Council has not yet taken place. (sda/dpa)