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Prosecutors ask PM Ariel why he talked to prime suspect on the night of murder of President Moise

Haiti's public prosecutor has invited Prime Minister Ariel Henry to meet with him next week to explain why he talked to one of the main suspects in the shooting.

Saturday, 11th September 2021

Haiti's public prosecutor has invited Prime Minister Ariel Henry to meet with him next week to explain why he talked to one of the main suspects in the shooting of former President Jovenel Moise on the night of the crime.

In a letter, the prosecutor Bed-Ford Claude to Henry said that only a president could summon someone of Ariel's rank, but as the country is currently without one, which is why he was being "invited" to come and cooperate.

The trial is all set to start on Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Port-au-Prince.

"The head of the criminal prosecution would be thankful if you could present yourself to cooperate with the Haitian judiciary if you so wish, taking into account restrictions given your status as a senior civil servant has," the letter said.

Moise was shot dead after assassins stormed his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince on July 7, plunging the poor Caribbean country deeper into unrest. His wife was also severely injured in the attack and was airlifted to Miami, Florida, for medical assistance.

Investigators say former Haitian justice minister Joseph Felix Badio ordered the attack.

Subpoenaed records from cell phone operator Digicel have now also allowed them to confirm charges that Badio and Henry spoke on July 7, twice at about 4 a.m., just hours after Moise's death, as per to the letter sent Friday.

Geolocation data also show that Badio spoke of the crime scene, the letter said.

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