28918: RV (comment) Holmstead RE Dominique case (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

> From revolisyone@hotmail.com:

John Holmstead writes:

"The accusations regarding the blocking of the investigation had to do with
parliamentary immunity claimed by Dany Toussaint."

This is false.

The reason that a multitude of sources called Aristide to account for blocking 
the investigation into the murder had to do with the fact that he had stripped 
away all the financial and logistical support that René Préval had allotted to 
the investigation of Dominique's killing, and personally refused to renew the 
mandate of investigating judge Claudy Gassant until Gassant was safely in exile 
(after multiple threats against his life by Aristide's party and police). Let's 
say that one more time: Aristide personally withdrew financial and logistical 
support for the case and refused to renew the mandate of the investigating 
judge.

In her March 7, 2002 radio address 
(https://listhost.uchicago.edu/pipermail/haiti-news/2006-April/001457.html), 
Michele Montas said the following:

"The Chief of State, who has the direct and exclusive authority to renew Judge 
Gassant's mandate, has still not done so although that judge diligently and 
systematically conducted the investigation for 16 months with courage and 
competence, not allowing himself to be intimidated by individuals presumed 
above the law. No explanation was given to thousands of persons who, for 23 
months, have been calling for justice in this emblematic case. All the 
resources, i.e. logistical, technical, and financial made available in this 
judicial case by the preceding government have been cancelled."

Is that clear enough for Mr. Holmstead? Would John Holmstead argue that this is 
the behavior of someone with nothing to hide?

RV

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