Friday afternoon at a press conference, Frantz Exantus, the Secretary of State for Communication accompanied by Noël Charles Nazaire Head of the Directorate of the National Penitentiary Administration (APN) took stock of the bloody mutiny followed by a major escape from the prison of Croix-des-Bouquet.

Key points from the press conference :

Frantz Exantus announced that a patrol of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) had killed the dangerous Gang Leader Arnel Joseph, considered as one of the most dangerous bandits in Haiti, who controlled the neighborhood of the Village ode Dieu in Port-au-Prince explaining "[..] He attacked a police patrol which was carrying out a routine check on the motorcycle he was on in l'Estère. The police responded and Arnel Joseph was fatally shot. The various technical services of the PNH confirm that it is indeed Arnel Joseph". Let's recall that Arnel Joseph was arrested on July 22, 2019 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28309-haiti-flash-the-dangerous-gang-leader-arnel-finally-captured-by-the-pnh.html and was being held pending trial

During the mutiny and the escape which followed "25 people died among which 6 prisoners and the divisional inspector Paul Hector Joseph who was in charge of the prison" The other victims would be citizens fallen under the assassinated bullets of the prisoners on the run.

According to official figures from the Directorate of the National Penitentiary Administration “Before yesterday's incident, there were 1,542 prisoners in the prison of Croix-des-Bouquets. The count made this Friday morning shows us that 1,125 prisoners are in cells."

According to these data, this means that 410 inmates are on the run and actively sought, i.e. the great escape from this prison considered to be the most modern and the most secure in the country, inaugurated in 2012 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-7025-haiti-justice-inauguration-of-the-new-prison-of-croix-des-bouquets-speech-of-pm.html) after that of August 10, 2014 a spectacular escape had allowed 329 prisoners to escape including Clifford Brandt https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11795-haiti-security-329-escapees-the-government-explains-video.html

According to the Secretary of State, during the intervention "The police recovered two 12 caliber rifles and five 9 mm caliber pistols and tear gas canisters. "The mutiny that broke out in the area where Arnel Joseph was located was aimed at getting all inmates out of the prison "which fortunately did not happen".

3 commissions of inquiry are at work :

"The General Inspectorate will conduct an administrative investigation to determine internal responsibilities. The Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) will determine who are those who must answer questions of justice. Finally, the Directorate of Prison Administration will investigate the causes of this mutiny and the people involved, "said the Secretary of State.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33107-haiti-flash-arnel-joseph-escaped-spectacular-escape-from-the-prison-of-croix-des-bouquets.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31361-haiti-flash-failed-escape-attempt-by-arnel-joseph.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-28309-haiti-flash-the-dangerous-gang-leader-arnel-finally-captured-by-the-pnh.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11795-haiti-security-329-escapees-the-government-explains-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/article-7025-haiti-justice-inauguration-de-la-nouvelle-prison-de-croix-des-bouquets-discours-du-pm.html

SL / HaitiLibre