VZCZCXRO7772
RR RUEHQU
DE RUEHPU #0520/01 1521910
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011910Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9978
INFO RUEHZH/HAITI COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 2325
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 0391
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 2054
RUEHQU/AMCONSUL QUEBEC 1422
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1882
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000520 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR 
INL FOR KEVIN BROWN, DIANNE GRAHAM AND MEAGAN MCBRIDE 
S/CRS 
INL/IAA 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR 
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KCRM HA
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF JUSTICE DISCUSSES PRIORITIES FOR 
JUSTICE SECTOR 
 
PORT AU PR 00000520  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) This message is sensitive but unclassified.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (U) Summary: On May 27, Ambassador Sanderson paid a 
farewell call on Minister of Justice Exume.  They discussed 
his priorities for the justice sector, including the judicial 
system, prisons and the Haitian National Police (HNP).  The 
Minister reiterated his strong commitment to reform of the 
judicial system as the lynchpin for advancing reforms in the 
prison sector and continuing the progress made by the HNP. 
End summary. 
 
¶3.  (U) On May 27, Ambassador Sanderson, accompanied by the 
NAS Director, paid a call on Minister of Justice (MOJ) Exume. 
 She informed him of her impending departure and took the 
opportunity to ask the Minister about his priorities for the 
coming year as well as to reiterate USG support for several 
pending projects in the prison and police arenas.  The 
Ambassador thanked the Minister for his leadership and 
cooperation with the USG.  She emphasized the pride of the 
USG in what has been accomplished in coordination with the 
GOH in the security sector and the USG commitment to 
continued support of the Haitian Naitonal Police (HNP).  She 
also commented on the differences between the security 
situation in 2006, when the police were unseen on the 
streets, and the situation in 2009, with a strong visible 
police presence. 
 
¶4.  (U) The MOJ mentioned a recent meeting with the Ministry 
of Planning and expressed his belief that with appropriate 
resources applied to the GOH's priorities he can make a 
difference.  He thanked USAID for its work in the Justice 
Sector, while emphasizing that the work must be tied to the 
GOH's priorities.  He is in the process of preparing the MOJ 
budget and laid out his priorities for the three parts of the 
sector.  For the judicial system, his priorities are the 
establishment of a fully functional judicial inspection unit, 
reinforcement of the court system, criminal code reform 
(under a special commission to be established) and 
modernization of the prosecutors' offices (parquets).  On the 
latter point, he plans to target five parquets as models, 
with additional personnel and equipment, including Internet 
access.  He acknowledged that one of the major stumbling 
blocks remains the high level of corruption in the court 
system.  The Ambassador emphasized that judicial reform was 
essential to create some equilibrium in the justice sector, 
with the courts progressing to match the strides made by the 
HNP.  Without that, the frustration of the HNP and the 
overcrowding in the prisons will only worsen as detainees 
remain incarcerated without due process and criminals are 
released at the whim of judges.  The MOJ fully agreed. 
 
¶5.  (U) For the prisons, the MOJ listed his priorities as 
dealing with the problem of lengthy pretrial detention, the 
need for effective legal representation, and the pressing 
need for additional prison capacity.  Ambassador Sanderson 
reminded him of the USG offer to construct a new women's 
prison that has been on the table for over a year.  The MOJ 
discussed the site he has identified for that facility, which 
is one of the properties seized from a convicted drug 
trafficker serving time in the US as part of the INL-funded 
anti-money laundering project.  The site is in Tabarre (the 
neighborhood where the Embassy is located) and has sufficient 
space for that facility as well as a small police station and 
the HNP maintenance garage (see below). 
 
¶6.  (SBU) When asked about priorities for the HNP, the MOJ 
identified the need for a maintenance garage and improvements 
to police stations around the country, where living and 
working conditions for the HNP, particularly in out-lying 
areas, do not meet minimal standards for performance of their 
duties.  The MOJ stated that many lack beds or dining 
facilities and basic equipment to do their jobs.  The 
Ambassador reminded him that the USG has offered to assist in 
creating a fleet management and maintenance facility.  She 
also recalled the USG-funded model police station program in 
2006-7 and suggested that this is something that could be 
 
PORT AU PR 00000520  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
considered if the GOH identified the most important stations 
to renovate.  The Ambassador also brought up the subject of 
the HNP presence in Cite Soleil, indicating that since 
dedication of the police station there in March, the number 
of HNP has not grown substantially and the building is not 
being fully utilized.  She mentioned the importance of 
promoting community-oriented policing and requested that the 
GOH decide whether they wish to have the small police station 
at Wharf Soleil rebuilt.  (Note:  The USG has been waiting 
for nine months for a GOH decision on Wharf Soleil).  When 
asked about the recent uptick in violence, the Minister 
indicated he was not overly concerned about that but that 
they must redouble their vigilence to not allow it to grow. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On other justice-related issues, the MOJ offered 
his opinion that neither the HNP nor MINUSTAH has the 
capacity to effectively cover the upcoming June 21 runoff 
elections.  However, he believes that the elections will 
happen in spite of some problems that are expected.  He also 
opined that if the 2011 succession for president works, Haiti 
will be much better off in the future.  The Ambassador raised 
two specific cases with the MOJ: the arrest of attorney Osner 
Fevry and the murder of Francois Latour in 2007.  The MOJ 
expressed his surprise about the bar association strike to 
support Fevry in light of the strong evidence against him for 
fraud against the public state (falsification of state seals 
and signatures) as well as his history of previous legal 
problems.  He mentioned that the magistrates had considered 
striking as well but he had made sure they understood that 
such a strike would be illegal.  On the Latour case, he 
promised to follow up and provide an update in light of the 
fact that the judge in charge of the case was no longer in 
Haiti. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment: Minister Exume appears firm in his 
commitment to judicial reform and strong cooperation with the 
USG.  He has cooperated actively with the USG on reform of 
the security sector to date and that should continue.  He has 
clearly thought about his vision for sector reform overall 
and is preparing a budget that will reflect those priorities. 
 However, his strong focus on judicial reform has meant less 
attention to prisons and police to date, areas where the USG 
will continue to press him in order to move USG police and 
corrections projects forward and promote a balanced approach 
to justice sector reform. 
 
SANDERSON