[R-G] Haiti Liberte's This Week in Haiti

[Anthony Fenton]

From: K M Ives <kives at toast.net>

This Week in Haiti" is the English section of HAITI LIBERTE  
newsweekly. For
the complete edition with other news in French and Creole, please  
contact
the paper at (tel) 718-421-0162, (fax) 718-421-3471 or e-mail at
editor at haitiliberte.com. Also visit our website at  
<www.haitiliberte.com>.

                            HAITI LIBERTE
                  "Justice. Verite. Independance."

                   * THIS WEEK IN HAITI *

                           July 9 - 15, 2008
                            Vol. 1, No. 51

MORTGAGE FRAUD TRIAL OF TOTO CONSTANT FINALLY BEGINS
by Kim Ives

Over six months after he rejected a plea bargain from Judge Abraham  
Gerges, Emmanuel "Toto" Constant, a former Haitian death squad leader,  
went on trial for mortgage fraud on July 8 in Brooklyn, NY.

In the early 1990s, Constant, 52, was the founder and leader of the  
Revolutionary Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti (FRAPH),  
a paramilitary death squad which carried out murder, rape, arson and  
violent demonstrations to terrorize the Haitian people.
The plea bargain Constant rejected on Jan. 9 would have given him only  
3 to 9 years in jail for agreeing to plead guilty to mortgage fraud  
charges in Kings County (see Haiti Liberté, Vol. 1, No. 26, Jan. 16,  
2008).

Beginning at 8:30 a.m., about 20 protestors picketed outside the New  
York State Supreme Court building where the trial was held to call  
attention to the start of the trial and Constant's human rights record.

"We're asking that he be held accountable for his crimes, whether  
mortgage fraud or crimes against humanity," said Ray Laforest of the  
International Support Haiti Network (ISHN), one of the demonstration's  
sponsors. He also noted that FRAPH leaders roam freely in Haiti. "The  
number 2 of FRAPH, Jodel Chamblain, was absolved of all crimes by a  
Haitian kangaroo court, although convicted in the historic Raboteau  
trial and although he was one of the leaders of the 2004 coup against  
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide."

Jenny Green of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) called  
Constant "a master at the evasion of justice." She outlined how he  
fled a warrant in Haiti in 1994 and had thwarted extradition requests  
and multiple demonstrations for his return to Haiti to stand trial.

"Constant is now claiming a campaign of persecution by the Center for  
Constitutional Rights and the Haitian human rights community," Green  
said. "It is not a campaign of political persecution. It is a campaign  
for justice and accountability. We want Constant held accountable for  
the crimes he has committed against the people of New York. Mortgage  
fraud is no small crime."

"Through fraud, he was trying to get rich, while the people whose  
lives he destroyed in Haiti are trying to figure out how to eat,"  
Green said. "That is unacceptable."
If convicted of scheming to defraud, grand larceny, and falsifying  
business records, Constant faces a maximum 45 year sentence.

"We are here to demand the maximum penalty for this man," said Barbara  
Victome of the Haitian women's rights group Dwa Fanm, who also  
sponsored the rally. "Too many women have suffered torture, too many  
women have lost their lives. We want to ensure that the court knows  
that this is not a man who should be allowed to roam freely because he  
and his group have committed so many atrocious crimes."

Haitian rights groups have pushed for Constant to be tried for  
mortgage fraud in the US although the Department of Homeland Security  
was trying to deport him back to Haiti. "Today there are still  
political prisoners in Haiti," said Jean Bertrand Laurent of the New  
York chapter of the Lavalas Family party. "But the people who  
committed human rights crimes, like Toto Constant, are walking free."

The trial began in the courthouse at 10 a.m. with Judge Abraham Gerges  
presiding. Toto Constant was led into the court in handcuffs wearing  
an open collar white shirt with a sports coat and slacks. Gone was the  
prison jumpsuit of his earlier appearances.

Thomas Shellhammer of the Attorney General's office asked witnesses to  
be allowed to testify about two additional Brooklyn properties - 979  
Park Place and 471 Hart Street - which are not specified in the  
indictment. "These witnesses will reinforce the evidence that the  
defendant had knowledge of and participated in these schemes to  
defraud," Shellhammer said. The indictment focuses on three building  
sales: 153 Hull Street on Feb. 20, 2002, 87 Monroe on Oct. 2, 2002,  
and 118 Bainbridge on Dec. 22, 2004.

Constant's defense attorney, Samuel Karliner, objected that the  
testimony of the witnesses involved in the two additional properties  
be admitted, but the judge allowed it.

The prosecution also noted that Constant had telephoned a number of  
the witnesses. The judge warned Constant that he would be charged with  
witness tampering if he did that again.

Constant waived his right to have the courtroom clear of spectators  
during jury selection, which was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on  
July 9.
The Center for Constitutional Rights is looking for volunteers to  
monitor the trial as it proceeds over the next few weeks. To help out,  
contact the CCR at 212-614-6421.


JUBILEE USA DEMANDS CANCELLATION OF POOR COUNTRY DEBT
by HaitiAnalysis

> From June 20-23, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio the organization Jubilee USA  
> held a
conference on the cancellation of the debts owed by the governments of  
poor countries to international lenders.

The plight of poor countries across five continents were addressed at  
the conference. Jubilee USA seeks to eliminate the burden that large  
external debts place on the poorest countries. Haiti and Liberia, two  
of the poorest countries in the world, have external debts of $1.5  
billion and $4.5 billion respectively.

In attendance were religious activists: a Lutheran Bishop, two pastors  
and a nun who works in Liberia. Jubilee USA is made up of a circle of  
different religious faiths.
Emira Woods, one of the speakers, highlighted the fact that the debts  
of Haiti and Liberia are "odious" debts - debts for which the people  
of those countries should not be held responsible because they did not  
benefit from them or have any say in negotiating them:

"This money that we pay today was given to the governments of  
dictators such as Jean-Claude Duvalier in Haiti and Charles Taylor in  
Liberia." she added. "Our children must not continue to live this way.  
It is really inhumane."

There were different workshops, one of them discussed the current  
situation in Haiti and Liberia. Photojournalist Wadner Pierre -  
activist and a founding member of HaitiAnalysis.com -- gave a speech  
and presented some of his photos.

He stressed how important it is that international financial  
institutions such are the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and  
the Inter-American Development Bank cancel the debt of Haiti. He  
argued that debt relief is indispensable to alleviating the social  
problems that affect the poor and that it would help Haitians achieve  
political stability.

Young African-Americans in attendance pledged to remain mobilized  
until debt cancellation is achieved. Many spoke about the lending  
policies of their representatives in both chambers and about the  
candidates in the presidential election of 2008.

"We will stand and mobilize all our skilled human resources, because  
this battle is ours, we must fight against social injustice in all its  
forms", declared a young African-American activist named Monet Cooper.

All articles copyrighted Haiti Liberte. REPRINTS ENCOURAGED.
Please credit Haiti Liberte.

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