Provisional release of Me Robinson Pierre Louis and Michelet Virgile charged with arms trafficking.
This Wednesday, August 7, 2024, the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal proceeded with the provisional release of the former secretary of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association, Me Robinson Pierre Louis and the former commissioner of the Port-de-Paix government, Me Michelet Virgile, indicted for trafficking in arms and ammunition in Port-de-Paix on July 5, 2022.
This decision was taken after their 7th appearance at the Court of Appeal, Pierre-Louis and Virgile’s lawyers had appealed the decision of investigating judge Walter Wesser Voltaire in August 2023, sending them back to the criminal court without jury assistance, after their first hearing on Monday, August 8, 2022.
The President of the Bar Association of Port-au-Prince, Me Patrick Pierre-Louis, welcomed the decision of the Magistrates, as well as the courage of the lawyers. “The defeat of the law is always provisional. Although the case is still pending, this is the beginning of victory,” he declared.
It should be recalled that Me Robinson Pierre Louis was arrested on July 22, 2022 for his alleged involvement in the release of Fritz Jean Relus and Jonas Georges, arrested for trafficking in arms and ammunition in Port-de-Paix on July 5, 2022 in the North-West department.
According to an investigation report by the Bureau of Financial and Economic Affairs (BAFE) of the DCPJMr. Robinson Pierre Louis is accused of acts of influence peddling, forfeiture, suspicion of corruption, and criminal associations. In the report, Mr. Robinson Pierre Louis stated that he intervened in this case as the lawyer of Jonas Georges, owner of the boat “Miss Lili” on board which the cargo of weapons and ammunition was found.
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