Haiti politician accused of corruption meets judge

Smith Augustin, a former ambassador and member of Haiti's transitional presidential council, appeared before a judge on Monday for an interview regarding corruption charges. He is accused, along with two other former council members, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Louis Gérald Gilles, of demanding over $750,000 from the director of the government-owned National Bank of Credit to secure his position. The accusations were detailed in a report by Haiti's Unit for Combating Corruption in October 2024. Augustin's attorney stated that the meeting with the judge was productive and that his client would cooperate with authorities. The report also named the former bank manager, Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis, as facing criminal charges. Augustin, Vertilaire, and Gilles have denied the allegations. A court decision in February 2025 reportedly threw out a prior summons against the three members, citing their presidential status as making them immune from regular court summons. Despite this, they remain in their roles on the executive council but have been excluded from the rotating presidency schedule.