Former Haitian senator John Joel Joseph who was accused in connection with the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, has gotten a second court date for February, according to his attorney, Donahue Martin.
Joseph, his wife and two children appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court in Jamaica on Thursday and were remanded until February 15th. They were arrested in a pre-dawn police operation on January 15th, in Warminster District, St Elizabeth. At the time of the arrest the family was occupying two houses in the rural community.
Martin told the Jamaica Observer that: “The indication to the court was for discussions to be had,” adding that “I can’t comment beyond that.
“The matter has some amount of sensitivity to it and as a result my comments have to be very limited”.
Joseph is the second suspect to be arrested in Jamaica. He arrived here illegally by boat last December, along with his family members and is one of three key suspects who were being sought by law enforcement authorities in Haiti. The former Haitian Senator is an opponent of the Tet Kale party to which Moïse belonged.
Last October, Jamaican authorities arrested former Colombian soldier Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, who was detained in Panama after being denied permission to remain in Jamaica. There is no extradition treaty between Haiti and Jamaica
Palacio was recently extradited to the United States and has been being charged with conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and with providing material support resulting in death, knowing or intending that such material support would be used to prepare for or carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap.
Moise was killed at his private residence on July 7 last year and more than 40 people, including 18 former Colombian soldiers, have been arrested in connection with the assassination.
On Thursday, the United States Department of Justice said that a dual Haitian-Chilean citizen had been arrested on charges of his alleged involvement in the assassination.
In a statement, the DOJ said that Rodolphe Jaar, 49, had been charged with conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and providing material support resulting in death, knowing or intending that such material support would be used to prepare for or carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap.
