WASHINGTON — A former official of Haiti’s state-owned national telecommunications company was sentenced to four years in US prison on charges related to a money laundering and bribery scheme, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Robert Antoine, 62, pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the scheme which took place when he was director of international affairs for Haiti Teleco from May 2001 to April 2003.
According to US prosecutors, Antoine, who lived in Miami and in Haiti, admitted that he accepted bribes from three US telecommunications companies and thereby and that to disguise the origin of these funds, laundered them through intermediary companies.
US District Judge Jose Martinez in Florida sentenced Antoine to to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered him to pay 1.85 million dollars restitution and to forfeit an additional 1.58 million dollars.
Others have pleaded guilty in the scheme including some sentenced to prison.
Antoine’s successor at Haiti Teleco, Jean Rene Duperval, and Duperval?s sister, Marguerite Grandison, were indicted along with Antoine in December, 2009. Trial for these remaining defendants is scheduled to begin July 19.
US authorities said the government of Haiti provided “substantial assistance” in gathering evidence during this investigation.
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I hope they pursue Preval and his associates for plundering Haiti’s treasury.
$198,000,000 from the Petro Caraibe funds, allocated for 2008 hurricane relief would be a good starter. Many were involved in this major crime, including a number f senior bank officials.
Yo pa p janm arete Preval paske li byen regle zafe yo. Ni Aristide ni Preval devni entouchab. Si yo ta pran chans arete yo, anpil gwo zouzoun t ap mele tou. Se poutet sa,se Bondye selman ki pral bay pep la jistis.Bondye pa p bay manti. Bondye kite yo ap fouye pwop twou yo menm jan sa te fet nan dat 12 Janvye 2010 la.
Nobody will indict Preval because he is managing their business very well.Either Aristide nor Preval are untouchable. If they take any action against them, many big chat will be in trouble. Therefore, God only will bring provide justice to the people. He never lie. So, God lives them doing whatsoever they wnat in order to dig their own whole by themselves as that happened on January 12th, 2010.