Haiti demands bribe to clear Stockton relief shipment-Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth


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Courtesy Rob Connor, head of maintenance at Quail Lakes Baptist Church, loads relief supplies onto an 18-wheeler bound for Miami and Haiti.

By Michael Fitzgerald

Record Columnist

May 02, 2010 12:00 AM

We’re used to various forms of legalized bribery in the American political process. Far less often do we encounter officials blatantly demanding to be bought off.

But then, we don’t live in Haiti. There, on Jan. 12, a devastating 7.0 earthquake killed 230,000 people, injured 300,000 and left 1 million homeless.

Many churches worldwide responded. From Stockton, Quail Lakes Baptist Church teamed up with Progressive Community Church. They raised $35,000 in cash and relief supplies.

They do Stockton proud.

Unfortunately, the church folk can’t get their shipment past the docks of Port-au-Prince because – you guessed it – Haitian customs officials want their palms greased.

Now, travelers to Mexico are used to transitos, traffic cops, pulling them over and demanding la mordida, a little bribe. Twenty bucks, maybe 50.

But the bribe demanded by the Haitian officials is greedy out of all proportion, said a flabbergasted church member.

“We have about $35,000 worth of goods that are sitting in customs, and they want $15,000 to release them,” said Fred Hammond, Quail Lakes’ executive director of operations.

Declared Hammond: “It’s abominable.”

Fifteen thousand – that’s almost 43 percent of the shipment’s value.

And just what is the shipment?

One hundred three-room canvas “family tents;” 200 “personal hygiene kits” containing toiletries; and cash, “Enough to feed 100 people for one year,” Hammond said.

The churches trucked the shipment to Miami. Rotarians shipped them by container to Port-au-Prince.

The good news is that six Stockton church members, three from each church who accompanied the shipment to Haiti, managed to steer the money to a safe haven.

But not the material.

The officials’ greed, corruption and dereliction of duty is contemptible enough. But these supplies are desperately needed. Waylaying them could cost lives.

And they don’t care.

Evidently they grow a particularly nasty species of bloodsucker in Haiti.

By Thursday, the six church members, who are scheduled to fly home today, were at wits’ end. They called Congressman Jerry McNerney’s office.

McNerney’s staff contacted the state department in Haiti. Corruption is not a big concern with good old American government workers. Just bureaucratic indifference.

“Essentially, they said it is not unusual for this to take place,” said Sarah Hersh, McNerney’s communications director.

Hersh went on, “I think what was most unsatisfactory about the response was it was clear they hadn’t taken the time to look into the specifics of this situation to see if there was anything that could be done to assist them.”

McNerney, highly displeased, fired off an urgent letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In it he denounced the bribe being demanded.

“This outrageous sum is preventing much-needed aid from reaching innocent civilians,” he wrote. “Levying such a duty is not acceptable given that the items are to be distributed for humanitarian purposes.”

The congressman did not say what size “duty” would be acceptable. Which raises an interesting point. Should the church folk pay the bribe?

Or should – just spitballin‘, here – they consult with Haitians familiar with such situations on the going rate, presumably a lower sum, and offer it instead?

Or should they just load their relief supplies back onto a ship and send it someplace needy, grateful, with no posse of parasites? Chile had an earthquake, too.

“Not at this point,” Hammond said. “We’re trying to explore all the avenues. They’ll be home late Sunday night. So next week we will be making a decision on what to do.”

Worst case, “There are funds available if we decide that’s the only way we’re going to make the thing work,” Hammond said.

I know Haiti has a complicated history. Still, these officials are guilty of crimes against their own people. They belong in a dungeon.

The parable of the Good Samaritan never prepared us for this. Church members, who were justifiably proud of their effort, are reeling with dismay.

Hammond: “One of our other elders said, ‘This is unreal. Here we’re doing this humanitarian effort and they’re holding a gun to our head for a bribe for $15,000.” He couldn’t believe it.”

Contact Michael Fitzgerald at (209) 546-8270 or michaelf@recordnet.com.

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COMMENT: HAITIAN-TRUTH.ORG

This is not  an individual act!

It is part of President Rene Preval’s ongoing effort to block, delay or derail all relief efforts for his country in an effort to gain  personal control or all material and money.

His plan is succeeding.

The International Community has effectively turned over absolute control , of all funds coming into Haiti for rebuilding, to Rene Preval and his inner circle.  He has the final veto on any project while his wife’s relatives, the Delatours and Voltaires head all significant committees overseeing all that happens in Haiti.

This church group was offered the opportunity to simply sign over their shipment to the Preval government, avoiding any need for bribery.  A bribe is demanded…but the alternative is offered. Give Title to Preval.

The only people suffering, in this unfortunate charade, are Haiti’s masses who are always overlooked internally, and externally.

Americans governments like to deal with other governments – even if those governments do not really represent the people, or the people’s interests.  Then America abdicates its moral obligations to – for instance Haiti’s majority – and does not pressure Preval over his obvious effort to deprive millions of needed aid.

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1 thought on “Haiti demands bribe to clear Stockton relief shipment-Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth

  1. i would try the docks at cap-hatien next time.i got to know people even the chief of police there.i am working with a charity project with a police magistrate who heads the district we will be putting up an orphanage and soup kitchen for women.
    for you as babtists,it would be good to connect with baptist chruches and missions there and elicit the help of the ministers,especially haitian ones.-n.n.

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