VZCZCXRO4731
RR RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #1597/01 3241209
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191209Z NOV 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9144
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 2120
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0270
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1878
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 1297
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1691
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001597 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR AND WHA/EX 
INL/LP FOR KEVIN BROWN, ANGELIC YOUNG, MEAGAN MCBRIDE, DON 
STOLWORTHY 
S/CRS 
INR/IAA 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
STATE PLEASE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR ECON PGOV PREL HA
SUBJECT: U.S. AMBASSADOR FIRST MEETING WITH NEW MINISTER OF 
JUSTICE 
 
PORT AU PR 00001597  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶2. (U)  Summary:  On November 14, the U.S. Ambassador met for 
the first time with the new Minister of Justice and Public 
Security, Jean Joseph Exume.  They discussed continuing USG 
support for police and judicial reform as well as specific 
cooperation on the USG-funded anti-money laundering project 
already underway.  The Minister acknowledgedthe pressing 
need for judicial reform and to coninue the fight against 
drug trafficking and mone laundering.  He accepted the 
Ambassador's offerof a full briefing on USG police and 
justice programs at a later date.  End summary. 
 
¶3. (U)  On Nvember 14, Ambassador Sanderson, accompanied by 
he NAS Director and two TDY U.S. Treasury anti-mony 
laundering advisors, met with the new Ministerof Justice and 
Public Security Jean Joseph Exume or the first time. 
Secretary of State for PublicSecurity Luc Eucher Joseph also 
was present.  Th Ambassador used the occasion to reiterate 
USG support to the Government of Haiti (GOH) on reform of the 
security and justice sector as well as our desire to continue 
the strong cooperation the USG and GOH have established in 
this area.  The Treasury advisors were present at the request 
of President Preval, who takes a strong personal interest in 
the anti-money laundering and accompanying anti-corruption 
program funded by INL/NAS in Haiti. The Ambassador stated 
that the USG coordinates with the GOH on its priorities and 
noted the importance of prison reform for both governments. 
She offered a full briefing on USG programs in the security 
and justice sector at a future date, which the Minister 
accepted. 
 
¶4. (U) Background:  Minister of Justice and Public Security 
Jean Joseph Exume was named to that positon on Monday 
November 10.  He had served in that post for a year in the 
first administration of President Aristide.  He is trained as 
a lawyer in Haiti and served four years on the OAS 
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, as well as as a 
consultant for USAID and UNDP.  In 2000 he returned to his 
post teaching civil law at the Faculty of Law and Economic 
Science in Port au Prince, of which he is a graduate.  He 
previously held that post in the early 1990s.  He understands 
and speaks English but appears to be more comfortable 
speaking French.  End background. 
 
¶5. (U)  The Minister plans to establish short, medium and 
long term goals and priorities for the areas under his 
responsibility and to work with donors to address the most 
pressing priorities first.  He acknowledged that reform of 
both the police and judicial systems was important 
simultaneously to consolidate the gains made in either 
sector.  He mentioned that he had visited the Port au Prince 
Court earlier that week at 10 a.m., the opening time, and had 
found no one at work (which was widely reported in the 
press). He recognizes the enormous problems faced in the 
courts, including lack of training, low salaries of judges 
and corruption. 
 
¶6. (U)  The group then turned to a discussion of activities 
and impediments to the successful anti-money laundering 
program being implemented by advisors from the U.S. 
Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance (OTA).  With OTA 
assistance, the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central 
Bank (UCREF) and the Financial Crimes Unit of the Haitian 
National Police (BAFE) have been restructured and are now 
moving investigations forward for the first time.  In the 
past month, the BAFE, with DEA assistance, has seized over 20 
properties and other assets of drug traffickers and money 
launderers convicted in the U.S.  By the end of the year they 
hope to seize up to 40 properties valued at over 20 million 
USD.  The OTA team sought the Minister's assistance in 
ensuring that this progress was not reversed.  Specifically, 
they requested that the Minister move expeditiously to name 
the Deputy Director of the UCREF, to ensure that a point of 
 
PORT AU PR 00001597  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
contact was named within the Commission to Fight against Drug 
Trafficking (CONALD) to oversee management, maintenance and 
disposal of forfeited assets, and to instruct the judicial 
system that all cases related to such seizures must be 
handled by the two judges that have been specifically trained 
to adjudicate such complex cases.  Without these measures, 
the GOH risks having the assets returned to convicted 
criminals and the deterrent effect of such seizures will be 
lost.  The Minister pledged his support to ensure these 
advances were not reversed.  Note: The Ambassador reiterated 
the importance of the last two OTA points in a subsequent 
meeting with the Prime Minister.  End note. 
 
¶7. (SBU)  The Minister made several statements that give an 
indication of his policies and priorities as Minister.  He 
stated that the only way to fight corruption is punishment 
and supports the promulgation of an anti-corruption law 
stronger that the draft currently being prepared.  He also 
recognizes the need for reform of the Haitian criminal code 
as well as the criminal and civil tax codes.  He expressed 
his opinion that a hybrid legal system that incorporates the 
best of the current Haitian legal system and of the U.S. 
system for dealing with such 21st century crimes is needed. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: Overall, the Minister demonstrated a good 
grasp of the issues for having been in office for less than a 
week.  His training as a lawyer showed in his grasp of the 
legal issues and specific laws being discussed.  His interest 
in continued cooperation with the USG and desire to reform 
the judicial system and fight corruption are positive signs. 
Speculation about the status of the Secretary of State for 
Public Security appears to be put to rest as they appear 
quite comfortable with each other.  They have a long personal 
and professional relationship, as the Minister was a teacher 
of the Secretary of State. 
SANDERSON