Invited Wednesday, May 1, 2024 to the program “Le Rendez-Vous avec Volcy Assad” on Gazette Haïti, the Executive Director of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) made revelations around the powerful gang leader Germine Joly alias YonYon . He claims that women from the diaspora used to sleep in prison with the latter.
These revelations once again raise the major flaws in the Haitian prison system and the possible complicity between notorious bandits and prison staff. According to statements by Pierre Espérance made during the program “Le Rendez-vous avec Volcy Assad” on Wednesday May 1, 2024, members of the prison staff are corrupt, facilitating the introduction of prohibited objects into the prison grounds. in exchange for bribes. This complicity would have allowed YonYon, powerful gang leader of the 400 Mawozo to receive visits from “women from the diaspora”, offering preferential treatment to the gang leader compared to other detainees.
“There are agents of the Directorate of Penitentiary Administration (DAP) who have received cars, motorcycles and money regularly and they facilitate it,” declared Pierre Espérance, thus highlighting the corrupt practices within the Haitian prison system.
This privilege that Pierre Espérance speaks of lies in the fact that DAP agents allow Yonyon to receive women from the diaspora in return for bribes. Espérance also specified that YonYon had special beds to sleep in the company of these women from the diaspora, which contrasts sharply with ordinary detention conditions. “One of the women was arrested,” said the human rights activist.
Imprisoned in Haiti since 2018, Joly was handed over to U.S. authorities by the Haitian government in 2022 after 17 missionaries from an Ohio-based charity, Christian Aid Ministries, were freed by his gang. Most of them had spent 61 days in captivity.
This kidnapping made international headlines and highlighted the epidemic of kidnappings for ransom in Haiti.
Although brought to the United States as part of the kidnapping of the missionaries, Yonyon was tried on four dozen charges related to smuggling firearms to Haiti, a violation of U.S. export laws. The guns were purchased from licensed Florida gun dealers with the assistance of three Florida-based co-defendants, who also pleaded guilty.
By: Daniel Zéphyr
