BNC Affair: Departmental Secretaries of the EDE Party Dissociate themselves from Smith Augustin and Demand his Withdrawal from the CPT

Due to legitimate suspicions, Departmental Secretaries of the EDE party dissociate themselves from Presidential Advisor Smith Augustin and demand his withdrawal from the CPT.

Departmental Secretaries and Deputy Departmental Secretaries of the National Political Bureau of the party Engagés pour le Développement (EDE) addressed themselves through a letter dated July 26, 2024, to the Secretary General of the party, Sterline Civil, to dissociate themselves from Presidential Advisor Smith Augustin, and demand his withdrawal from the Presidential Transitional Council.

In this letter, it is emphasized that this decision was taken, after having taken note of the correspondence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the BNC to Prime Minister Garry Conille, reporting behavior similar to an act of corruption which would involve members of the Presidential Transitional Council, including the representative of EDE, Mr. Smith Augustin.

“This dishonorable situation for the Presidential Council of the Transition makes us uncomfortable. Consequently, to avoid any hindrance to the investigation already initiated by the ULCC and to justice, to restore a climate of trust likely to facilitate the success of the interim period, we demand immediately the withdrawal of Mr. Smith Augustin and his immediate replacement according to the provisions of the Agreement of April 3, 2024” reads the letter bearing the signatures of Richelier Simonvil for the West department, Junie Monpremier for the Center, Pastor Marc Dalmane for the North-West, among others.

It should be noted that through a note, the Presidential Advisor, Smith Augustin expressed his astonishment and indignation at the recent allegations deemed false and slanderous associating him with acts of corruption, and thus attacking his personality and integrity. He urged the population to remain vigilant and not to give credence to politically motivated allegations that only aim at destabilizing the Presidential Transitional Council.

Regarding this matter, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Banque Nationale de Crédit, Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis is expected on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at ten o’clock in the morning, at the premises of theAnti-Corruption Unit at #20, Delmas 83, to answer investigators’ questions.