Man Charged By Canadian Police In Plot To Topple Haiti's Moise Government

In connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the government of the recently deceased Haitian President Jovenel Moise, Canadian federal police have charged a man in the province of Quebec with "terrorism."

The accused has been identified as Gerald Nicolas, 51, from the town of Levis near Quebec City, Al Jazeera reported.

The police organization declined to provide specific dates for the suspect's trip to Haiti or the alleged plot, but it did state that its investigation, which got underway in July 2021, had nothing to do with Moise's murder that same month.

The Haitian leader was killed on July 7, 2021, thrusting the Caribbean nation, which was already facing political turmoil, into deeper instability.

After more than a year, the political void left by Moise's murder has resulted in armed gangs fighting for control of strategic districts, leaving Haiti reeling from an upsurge in violence.

Meanwhile, Haiti's inquiry into the incident appears to have come to a standstill. Although there have been several arrests in the continuing investigation, things have moved slowly.

The United States Department of Justice alleges that a group of about 20 Colombians and a group of Haitian Americans participated in a plot that, while initially focused on kidnapping Moise in a purported arrest operation, “ultimately resulted in a plot to kill the president”.

With regard to the murder, the US has charged three men.

John Joel Joseph, a former senator from Haiti, was charged in May after being deported from Jamaica. In addition to Rodolphe Jaar, a dual citizen of Chile and Haiti, Mario Antonio Palacios, a former soldier in Colombia, is also indicted.

In a report ordered by the US Congress on Moise’s assassination, the Department of State said it “continues to assist Haitian authorities as they proceed with their investigation” into the president’s killing.

“Embassy Port-au-Prince estimates Haitian authorities have detained around 74 suspects during the investigation; approximately 42 remain in pre-trial detention,” said the report.

The State Department said a fifth judge was appointed to head the Haitian investigation in May but “investigative judges assigned to the case and related figures have reported threats to their safety for working on the case”.

“Multiple break-ins at the offices of the investigating judges resulted in tampered evidence, further hampering the investigation,” it added.