Key facts
- Smith Augustin, a former ambassador and member of Haiti's transitional presidential council, appeared in court for an interview with a judge.
- Augustin and two other former council members are accused of demanding over $750,000 from the director of the National Bank of Credit.
- The accusations were made public in October 2024 by an anti-corruption agency.
- Augustin's attorney stated the meeting with the judge went well.
- A court decision in February 2025 stated that the three members could not be summoned by a regular court due to their presidential status.
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. The scandal has previously led to discussions about replacing Augustin from the council, though some coalition members wished to await the investigation's completion. However, 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.