PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s chief public prosecutor invited Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Friday to meet with him next week as part of an ongoing investigation into the slaying of President Jovenel Moïse, noting that Henry spoke with one of the main suspects in the case just hours after the killing.
The carefully worded invitation noted that Henry had multiple phone calls with fugitive Joseph Felix Badio, who once worked for Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and authorities say had a key role leading up to the July 7 killing of the president at his private home.
Bedford Claude, Port-au-Prince’s chief prosecutor, said two of the calls occurred at 4:03 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. on July 7 just hours after the killing. He said evidence shows that Badio was in the vicinity of the president’s home when the calls were made.
Claude told the prime minister that he was requesting a meeting with him to verify the content of those conversations, although he implied it wasn’t mandatory.
“The head of the criminal prosecution would be grateful if you so wish, taking into account the restrictions given your status as a senior state official,” Claude wrote.
He added that the invitation issued to Henry was justified given what he called a “case of extreme gravity for the nation” and a power vacuum that prevented authorities from obtaining prior authorization from a president to request that Henry
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