On the night from Thursday to Friday, November 30, 2018, around two o'clock in the morning, heavily armed individuals riddled with bullets, the home of the examining magistrate Dieunel Lumérant, who is in charge of the investigation on the shipment of illegal weapons seized in Saint-Marc in 2016 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18569-haiti-flash-worrying-seizure-of-weapons-from-the-usa.html . The magistrate as well as the members of his family came out safe and sound.

The projectiles broke the windows of the judge's room, according to Jean Wilner Morin, president of the National Association of Magistrates of Haiti (ANAMAH), saying that this attack comes at a time when Judge Lumérant is preparing to make his Closing order on this file. The judge's vehicle also received several projectiles.

After this "intimidation attempt", the police reinforced security around the house of Judge Lumérant.

Wilner Morin calls other judges who work on sensitive files to be cautious, while calling on the authorities to take all measures to protect magistrates.

Let's remember that on September 8, 2016, at the St-Marc customs car park, had been seized from Miami : 150 12-gauge shotguns, 9 shotguns 12-gauge double-barrel, 5 rifles M 4,15 pairs of handcuffs, 10 pairs of boots, 50 boxes of 50 units of caliber 38 bullets, 4 boxes of 1,000 units 9mm bullets, 10 boxes of 250 units of caliber 12 bullets, 7 holsters, 50 boxes of 50 cartridges 380, 2 boxes of 250 bullets 12,7 caliber 5,56 mm chargers, 1 M14 charger, 12 uniforms (blue pants, black shirt), 5 tactical vests, 1 Glock 9 mm pistol BCB2761 and one charger.

For the moment Judge Lumérant has already indicted Godson Orelus, former director general of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-25946-haiti-justice-godson-orelus-former-dg-of-the-pnh-arrested-and-imprisoned.html who is incarcerated in the civil prison of Saint-Marc, as well as Réginald Delva, former Minister of the Interior and Territorial Communities who is charged with complicity in transnational crime https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26111-haiti-justice-the-former-minister-of-the-interior-reginald-delva-charged-with-complicity.html , of illicit trafficking in firearms, ammunition and criminal conspiracy. Tansis that Vladimir Paraison, coordinator of the general security of the National Palace, recently resigned, is the subject of a mandate to bring in the context of this file. While Vladimir Paraison, coordinator of the general security of the National Palace, recently dismissed, is the subject of a warrant to bring in this case.

For its part, the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) states in a note that the public service of justice should not be the object of any constraint of any kind whatsoever. "All the judges deserve protection and security in the exercise of their function," giving the guarantee that it will take all the necessary measures so that the Security of Magistrates is suitably assured.

"I condemn the assassination attempt perpetrated against Me Lumérant, judge of instruction of Saint Marc, this November 30. I am at the side of all the magistrates of the republic in this ordeal. I invite the authorities to assume their responsibilities," reacted Me André Michel of the Democratic and Popular Sector.

HL/ HaitiLibre