Haitian Prime Minister dismisses three senior officials

Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry dismissed the ministers of Justice, the Interior and the government commissioner, in a new round of political turmoil.

Former Justice Minister Berto Dorcé first fired government commissioner Jacques Lafontant on Henry’s orders before being fired himself days later, along with Interior Minister Liszt Quitel, according to documents that PA got on Monday.

Quitel was previously Minister of Justice.

Henry did not explain why he removed the officials and his spokesman has not yet been reached.

Henry became interior minister while serving as prime minister, and Emmelie Prophète Milcé was appointed justice minister, the fifth in the past two years as the country struggles to bring to justice all those involved in the assassination of the president Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

The layoffs come a month after the US government announced that it will withdraw the visas of current officials and former Haitian government officials involved with gangs. The officials were not identified.

Earlier this month, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the president of the Senate of Haiti, Joseph Lambert, and former Senator Youri Latortue amid allegations that they abused their positions to traffic drugs alongside gangs and instructed others to engage in violence.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram.