A Jamaican court has cleared the way for the extradition of Joseph Joel John, the former Haitian senator linked to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse
John Joël Joseph, was arrested in Jamaica earlier this year after months of hiding in Haiti. He was being held on an immigration violation charge after illegally entering the country with his wife and children. After multiple postponements and court appearances, the one-time politician’s case was finally resolved Thursday when the chief prosecutor decided not to move forward with the case.
John had consented to be extradited to the US from Jamaica on March 21st but was awaiting word from the Director of Public Prosecution on the immigration offense. He will most likely be charged in connection with the still unsolved assassination of the president. He would be the third suspect charged in Miami, Florida
The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Joseph’s expected extradition to Miami. A criminal complaint is expected to charge him with conspiring to provide “material support” in a plot to kill a foreign leader. He is accused of renting four vehicles that were used by the Colombian assassins on the night of the deadly attack. His charge would be similar to that of the Colombian commando accused of supplying weapons for the deadly attack.
Both the U.S. and Haiti had made requests for Joseph to be handed over. The U.S. request first came up last month as Joseph appeared in court for the fifth time. There was no mention of Haiti’s request, despite confirmation from two senior Haitian government officials that a letter was sent to Kingston requesting that Joseph be turned over to them.
The ex-Haitian official was arrested in Warminister, St Elizabeth in January with his wife, Edume, 38, and their sons — Schopenhauer, 17, and a nine-year-old boy.
