A major blow has struck the Episcopal Church of Haiti, which had been demanding the release of its members, including priests and laypeople detained in connection with the arms and ammunition trafficking case linked to the religious institution. The Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal issued a landmark ruling referring the defendants to the criminal court for trial, citing sufficient evidence and charges. The priests, former Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, former Director of the General Customs Administration Julcène Edouard, and the other defendants now know their specific charges.
Through this decision delivered on April 27, 2026, the appellate jurisdiction overturned the order issued on September 29, 2023, by the investigating magistrate and ordered the referral of several defendants to the criminal court, sitting without a jury, to answer for various criminal offenses. In its ruling, the court declared the appeals lodged by both the government commissioner near the Port-au-Prince court of first instance and several defendants, including Johny Docteur, Dieuné Day, Rubens Vilmont, and Sikhumbuzo Vundla, to be admissible. However, it rejected the request of the public prosecutor and Michel Patrick Boisvert to apply the decree of December 17, 2025, regarding the organization of the High Court of Justice, deeming that text non-compliant with the law. The court also confirmed the status of civil party for the Episcopal Church of Haiti, represented by Father Ricot Geffrard.
The appellate judges criticized the investigating magistrate for omitting essential steps crucial to uncovering the truth, particularly regarding suspicions of money laundering and illicit enrichment. After confirming the regularity of the supplemental investigation, the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal also rectified the legal qualification chosen by the initial judge regarding the seized currency, determining that it did not constitute the “introduction of counterfeit money” as originally claimed, but rather the “introduction of counterfeit foreign currency into Haiti.”
Among the main indictments, the court confirmed the referral of fugitives Rémy Lindor, Fernand Jean-Pierre, Isaac Alerte, and Franklin Baptiste to the criminal court for illegal trafficking of firearms and ammunition, smuggling, introduction of counterfeit foreign currency, and criminal association. It also referred Jude P. Louis, Johny Docteur, Trevol Moïse, Gina Jean-Louis, Frantz Cole, Fritz Désiré, Sikhumbuzo Vundla, Evens Souffrant, and Jean Vernet Marcellus for complicity in these same offenses, as well as forgery and the use of forged private documents.
The judges also retained money laundering and illicit enrichment charges against Johny Docteur, Trevol Moïse, Jude Alain Louis, and René Prévilon. The former Director General of the General Customs Administration, Julcène Édouard, was also referred to the criminal court for money laundering and illicit enrichment. Michel Comeau, former Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, Andreline Theresias Édouard, Stevenson Lewy, Johnny Merdinord, Louis Renel Charles, Pierre Serge Domerçant, Jean Ralph Garcia, and several other defendants must also answer to various charges linked to laundering, weapons trafficking, smuggling, or document forgery.
Furthermore, the court estimated that the file’s elements were insufficient to uphold certain accusations against several prosecuted individuals. All defendants benefited from a partial dismissal regarding terrorism financing due to a lack of evidence. Ronald Docteur, Dianika Jules, Kleberson Jean-Baptiste, Steeve Jean, Jean Mardoché Vil, Gérard Remplais, and Jean Marie Jean Gilles were completely cleared of charges of arms trafficking, smuggling, forgery, criminal association, and money laundering. The court also noted that illicit enrichment charges could not be maintained against defendants like Gina Jean-Louis, Frantz Cole, Fritz Désiré, Alland Dolcé, or Rémy Lindor, as the investigation failed to establish their status as managers of public funds. Only Jean Ralph Garcia remains prosecuted for illicit enrichment, while Alland Dolcé remains referred for money laundering.
The appellate court magistrates maintained the conservative asset-freezing measures covering a combined total of 142,070,298.34 gourdes and 2,023,303.19 US dollars held in the accounts of several defendants. The court also ordered the arrest and detention of all defendants referred to the criminal court who are not already in custody, before transmitting the file to the public prosecutor for necessary legal follow-up. The ruling was delivered in an extraordinary public penal hearing by magistrates Noé Pierre-Louis Massillon, Denise Papillon, and Toussaint Adouis, in the presence of government commissioner Claude Jean and clerk Fleurimond Jean.
