There has always been an involvement of PNH officer, and members of MINUSTAH in the Haitian kidnap scene. However, the kidnapping of SOGEBANK chief Robert Moscoso’s son and daughter, along with the Serges Gilles family kidnap, opened a real can of worms – finally.
There have always been spur-of-the-moment kidnaps, like the one that took Edouard Baussan off a Petion-Ville street one night. His kidnappers never knew who they had and demanded a small sum of money.
On the other hand, there has long been a loose collection of kidnap teams, some connected directly to SOGEBANK and UNIBANK – as staff members tell kidnappers who has just withdrawn large sums of cash…so they can be intercepted. Other bank staff members tell kidnappers who has a large amount of money available in their accounts.
Many kidnaps are never mentioned to the authorities as ransom is paid, and people released. Sometimes, ransom is paid and the victims are killed. There re no guarantees.
The difficulty of convicting people and keeping them in jail is a problem.
Remember Theophyle who killed the Air France manager. He was jailed… then released within 3 months.
Some believe the only solution is a simple one. Catch the kidnapper and shoot him/her.
Human rights groups would call these summary executions. Others would call them Justice and a land with no legal system.
October 23, 2012