After gang leaders walked out of jail, several prison and police officials were detained in Haiti

PORT AU PRINCE – Haitian authorities have detained several officials from the Fort-Liberté Prison, and a court bailiff after one of the country’s most wanted prisoners walked out of jail last weekend.

The authorities said that the head of the Fort-Liberté Prison, two police officers, and the bailiff of the First Instance of Fort Liberté had been detained after gang leader Jean Samy Dorvil also known as “Ti Samy,” was allowed to leave the prison on a promise of providing US$80,000 to them. The authorities have since launched a search for Dorvil.

Those detained are accused of using forged documents to ensure the release of Dorvil, who had been charged with murder, armed robbery, rape, and illegal possession of firearms.

The Government Commissioner of Fort-Liberté, Eno Zephyrin, said that the investigation was ongoing and other people might be implicated in the matter.

Last February, the United Nations Security Council published a report indicating that the Haitian judicial system “continues to present serious structural weaknesses …and deep-rooted corruption remains a major obstacle”.

Meanwhile, the United States has maintained its maximum Alert level 4 for Haiti, warning that kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include UUS citizens.

“Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unexpected opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked. Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations, and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Victims’ families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members,” the United States Department of State said.

It said violent crime, such as armed robbery and carjacking, is common. Travelers are sometimes followed, violently attacked, and robbed shortly after leaving the Port-au-Prince international airport. Robbers and carjackers also attack private vehicles in heavy traffic congestion and often target lone drivers, particularly women.

“Protests, demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and can turn violent. The U.S. government is extremely limited in providing emergency services to U.S. citizens in Haiti – assistance on-site is available only from local authorities (Haitian National Police and ambulance services). Local police generally lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents,” Washington said.