On Tuesday, December 9, at the Karibe Hotel, Laurent Saint-Cyr, the interim President and Coordinator of the Transitional Council, participated in the official ceremony marking International Anti-Corruption Day.

This ceremony, organized by Hans-Jacques Ludwig Joseph, Director General of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), brought together various national and international figures, including members of the Cabinet of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Alfred Métellus; Sancho Coutinho, Head of Political Affairs and Good Governance at the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH); the Canadian Ambassador, André François Giroux; and other members of the diplomatic corps. Representatives of international organizations, senior government officials, and various delegations of students and engaged youth were also present.

In his address, President Saint-Cyr reiterated that transparency is the foundation of public trust. He emphasized that young people can and must be both the actors and the inheritors of this fight, reaffirming that education remains the primary tool for promoting a culture of integrity and strengthening the collective rejection of corruption.

He also stressed the need for effective collaboration among oversight institutions, essential for preventing abuses, ensuring the rigorous use of public resources, and consolidating the rule of law.

President Saint-Cyr commended the crucial role of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) and all stakeholders in the national integrity system, whom he described as "Guardians of Transparency, Integrity, and Good Governance."

Laurent Saint-Cyr reaffirmed the necessity for oversight bodies to carry out their missions freely and without interference, in strict compliance with the laws of the Republic, ensuring that justice is equal for all. He recalled that the Transitional Council had adopted, on April 16, 2025, the decree establishing specialized judicial hubs (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-45376-haiti-justice-towards-the-establishment-of-specialized-judicial-centers.html), one of which is dedicated to the repression of complex financial crimes and offenses, and emphasized the need to work diligently and responsibly to make these hubs fully operational.

Under his leadership, the coordinated action of the ULCC and other oversight institutions continues to strengthen the State's resolve to combat corruption with determination.

However, despite significant investigative work by the ULCC, the number of convictions resulting from cases referred to the courts remains extremely low. Beyond political rhetoric, even though Mr. Joseph, under his administration, produced and submitted 68 investigative reports to the courts recommending prosecution, the follow-up and actual convictions remain very limited. It should be noted that of the 94 reports sent to the courts since 2004, the year the ULCC (Anti-Corruption Unit) was created, only two convictions have been handed down. One in 2024 was that of Roudel Ducherne, a former inspector at the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), and the other, on December 10, 2015, was that of Edric Léandre, former Director General of the Office of Third-Party Vehicle Insurance (OAVCT).

Irrefutable proof, if any were needed, of a justice system where impunity reigns, particularly when it comes to corruption...

HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre