After an investigation started in October 2016, for fraud against VISA in the Bahamas, the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), uncovered a corruption network between senior Bahamas immigration officials and a so-called Justice of the Peace for a long-term fraudulent work permit.

In addition, the FBI paid nearly $50,000 to three Haitian nationals to participate as informants in a clandestine covert operation that led to the arrest and indictment of four Haitians (Kevin Desir, Johnlee Paul, Edna St Fleur and a fourth person whose identity is confidential) living in the Bahamas and Bahamian Pauline Pratt and Pauline Johnson face charges of conspiracy and visa fraud.

Edward Israel Saintil a Bahamian suspected of being the leader of the network holding a Bahamian passport and a Haitian passport was arrested last September in the District of Columbia (USA) during a trap set by the FBI while he came to collect 14,000 US dollars to smuggle a Haitian national into the country and organize a marriage with a US citizen.

SL/ HaitiLibre