Haiti: Drug Trafficker Involves PM Henry in Moise Assassination

In Sep. 2021, prosecutor Bedford Claude revealed that current Prime Minister Ariel Henry received phone calls from Joseph Felix Badio, a former Justice Ministry official who participated in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7. On that occasion, Henry rejected these revelations quickly and subsequently obstructed the investigations into his relationship with Badio.

RELATED:

Colombian Involved in Moise Assassination Is Brought to Miami

On Monday, the New York Times (NYT) published an article related to the Haitian prosecutor's findings. Besides presenting evidence about those phone calls, journalist Anatoly Kurmanaev maintains that Badio visited Henry's residence when he was fleeing the authorities.

This NYT researcher reviewed phone records and conducted interviews with Haitian officials and a crime suspect. According to these sources, Badio spoke to Henry before and after Moise's murder on July 7, 2021.

Four months after the murder, Badio made two nocturnal visits to Henry's official residence. The security guards of the Prime Minister did not prevent him from entering.

A spokesperson for Henry said he had not spoken with Badio despite the existence of phone records proving otherwise. Prosecutor Claude insisted and asked the then-new Prime Minister to clarify the situation. Shortly thereafter, Henry removed Claude from his position.

The NYT interviewed Rodolphe Jaar, a Haitian businessman, who admitted to having contributed to the financing and planning of the plot against Jovenel Moise. After the assassination of the Haitian President, Jaar and Badio were in a "safe house" while hiding and fleeing from the police. Badio told Jaar that he asked Henry to help him escape. In response to the fugitive's request, Henry said that he would "make some calls."

Other Haitian officials involved in the investigation would have also confirmed that Henry would be officially a suspect if he were not prime minister at this time.

The Haitian businessman also mentioned that Badio asked policeman Frantz Elbe for weapons for the attack on the Moise residence, according to the NYT article. Once Ariel Henry became Prime Minister, Elbe was promoted to director of the Haitian National Police.