Following his return to Haiti over the weekend, former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier has been charged by the courts:
"His fate is now in the hands of the investigating judge. We have brought charges against him," said Port-au-Prince's chief prosecutor, Aristidas Auguste.If the judge dismisses the charges, things are going to get really interesting.He said his office had filed charges against Duvalier, 59, of corruption, theft, misappropriation of funds and other alleged crimes committed during his period in power.
The charges must now be investigated by the judge who will decide whether a criminal case should go ahead.
The Wall Street Journal points out that, additionally:
Mr. Duvalier is also battling a Swiss effort to confiscate about $5 million that he holds in Swiss bank accounts, and return the funds to Haiti, according to Haitian and Swiss lawyers involved in the case.A law allowing Swiss authorities to seize funds deemed of illicit origin and return them to foreign nations is set to come into force on Feb. 1. From that date, Swiss authorities will have the power to initiate a case against Mr. Duvalier, a spokesman for Swiss Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Pending possible legal actions against Mr. Duvalier, Swiss authorities have frozen the funds. Mr. Duvalier has challenged that decision through Switzerland's Federal Administrative Court.
He entered Haiti with an expired Haitian passport - but why did he return in the first place?
