Haitian politician meets with judge as probe into presidential slaying widens

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A former ambassador and member of Haiti’s since-dissolved transitional presidential council appeared in court for an interview with a judge Monday as the investigation into the July 2021 killing of former President Jovenel Moïse widens.

Smith Augustin is the latest public figure to be interviewed as part of the investigation, which is ongoing even as a parallel probe in the U.S. has already led to several convictions.

Augustin has not been accused or charged in the Moïse case.

He did not speak to reporters, but his attorney, Mario Delcy, said the meeting with the judge went well and that Augustin would be available whenever authorities need to question him.

Augustin was still a member of the transitional presidential council when he and two other former members were accused in October 2024 of corruption. Officials accused them of demanding more than $750,000 from the director of the government-owned National Bank of Credit to secure his job.

The accusations against Augustin and the others were made public in 2024 by an anti-corruption agency in a scathing report, which noted that all suspects have denied the accusations.

That case is still making its way through Haiti’s crumbling judicial system.

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