Former Haiti police chief shot and killed

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – Police said that a former colonel in the Haitian Army was shot and killed by gunmen who pumped at least nine bullets into him as he sat in his vehicle.

The police said that Ramus Sainvil, who was also a former police chief and lawyer, was killed in Petion-ville by gunmen on motorcycles.

The former leader of the opposition FUSION Party, Edmonde Supplice, condemned the murder, saying, “You were a man who respected the law, you who did not want to do of politics, why did they shoot you down."

Meanwhile, police said that the leader of the notorious gang, Jean Paul Bénissoit aka “Ti Papi” had been detained in the Nan Raquette neighbourhood, in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets, earlier this week.

Police said that the gang leader was wanted on several charges including murder.

The authorities also announced that eight persons, who had been held in prison awaiting trial o ver the last four years, had been released due to insufficient evidence against them.

They said three women were among those released.

The Office of Human Rights in Haiti (BDHH) said it was also concerned at the conditions at the National Penitentiary and is accusing the authorities of human rights violations.

The BHDD said that when detainees were protesting the poor quality of the food distributed, the authorities responded with “tear gas and fired live shots at several detainees”.