Lawyer denies ex-rebel leader tied to attack on Haiti police
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The lawyer for a Senate candidate and ex-rebel leader said Tuesday that his client had nothing to do with a deadly attack on a police station in southern Haiti this month.
Attorney Reynold Georges said accusations that former paramilitary Guy Philippe organized the May 16 assault on the Les Cayes police station were baseless and “politically motivated.” A prosecutor in the southwest town of Jeremie summoned Philippe to his office Tuesday, but Georges requested 15 more days to prepare for initial questioning.
Georges asserted that interim President Jocelerme Privert’s administration is “persecuting” Philippe and other people aligned with former President Michel Martelly’s Tet Kale party.
Presidential spokesman Serge Simon declined comment on Georges’ assertions, saying Haiti’s justice system is still investigating the police station attack.
CDB approves USD3.5 million grant to pay Haiti’s catastrophe risk insurance
Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Board of Directors approved a grant of USD3.5 million to pay Haiti’s catastrophe risk insurance premium for the coming year. This marks the fourth year that CDB has provided a grant for the full payment of Haiti’s premiums on earthquake, tropical cyclone and excess rainfall policies.
The approved grant covers insurance for the period June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017. Given Haiti’s fragility and high vulnerability to natural hazards, the Bank committed to paying its annual Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) premiums, as part of the CDB country partnership strategy for Haiti for the period 2013-2016. Haiti and other member countries of CCRIF, the world’s Òrst multicountry catastrophe risk pooling facility, beneÒt from sovereign insurance at a×ordable rates. Through CCRIF, countries receive timely, rapid cash payments after catastrophic earthquakes, hurricanes or excess rainfall events, which signiÒcantly impact their national economies