The Turkish government has arrested a man believed to be a suspect in the murder of former Haitian President Jovenel Moise, Haiti’s foreign minister Claude Joseph told the media.  Jovenal Moise, a former businessman, took office as the President of Haiti in 2017. The leader was shot dead at his private residence and his wife was left wounded on July 7, 2021.

Also read: https://opoyi.com/health/haiti-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-at-his-home-154351/ 

Initially, a group of Colombian mercenaries were accused in the crime. Though arrested right after the murder, none of them have been charged yet. More than 40 suspects have been arrested for the murder of the Haitian president so far, including 18 ex-soldiers from Colombia and Haitian police officers.

The person arrested by the Turkish government has been identified as Samir Hadal, a businessman. He was arrested on Monday at the Istanbul airport where he had halted for transit from the US to Jordan. Formal announcement of his arrest in Haiti was made later.

Turkish state media reported that Samir Hadal was being sought with an Interpol Red Notice and was questioned later by court representatives, who later, at the request of Turkey’s Justice Ministry, issued a 40-day temporary custody of the suspect at Istanbul’s Maltepe prison.  

Haiti Foreign Minister Claude Joseph tweeted Tuesday, “I just had a phone conversation with the Turkish minister, my friend Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, to thank Turkey for the arrest of Samir Handal, one of the persons of great interest in the investigation into the assassination of the president.”

Security officials in Turkey and Haiti have been on overdrive to find the people who killed former president Moise. Moise’s death sparked unrest in the country which was soon hit by a series of natural disasters, including a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August this year. Fuel shortages and gang violence have had a serious impact on Haiti’s political fabric.

Also read: https://opoyi.com/world/haiti-earthquake-has-impacted-over-12-million-people-unicef-284192/