Smith Augustin, a former ambassador and member of Haiti’s since-dissolved transitional presidential council, appeared in court Monday for an interview with a judge regarding corruption charges. Augustin is accused of demanding over $750,000 from the director of the government-owned National Bank of Credit to secure his position.
The accusations against Augustin, Emmanuel Vertilaire, and Louis Gérald Gilles were detailed in an October 2024 report by Haiti's Unit for Combating Corruption. The agency also stated that former bank manager Raoul Pascal Pierre-Louis faces criminal charges of bribery and corruption in connection with the case. All suspects have denied the allegations.
Augustin’s attorney, Mario Delcy, stated that the meeting with the judge proceeded well and that his client would cooperate with further inquiries. Augustin previously served as Haiti's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, while Gilles is a former senator and Vertilaire is an ex-investigative judge.