Haitian killer arrested—but not for his real crimes
By
G. Dunkel
Published Jul 16, 2006 8:15 AM
The U.S. State Department granted Emmanuel
“Toto” Constant asylum in 2000, even after he was convicted by a
Haitian court of committing mass murder in 1994 in the Raboteau neighborhood of
Gonaïves, Haiti’s second-largest city. He also has been charged with
organizing gang rapes of Aristide supporters during the first coup against
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
The State Department had decided that
the justice system in Haiti was not fit to judge a CIA agent who was a mass
murderer. Constant then settled down in New York City, where he was the frequent
target of demonstrations.
While still in Haiti, Constant had headed the
Front for Advancement and Progress of Haiti (FRAPH), which the Haitian military
set up in 1991 and used as a front for violent attacks on Aristide supporters.
“Frap” is the Creole word for punch.
But when Constant
allegedly tried to extend his impunity to cover stealing from a U.S. bank, he
found that it had definite limits.
He was arrested, arraigned July 7, and
ordered to post $50,000 bail. His real estate broker’s license will also
be subject to suspension, since his crime is alleged to be connected to
real-estate transactions.
Moira Feeney, an attorney with the San
Francisco-based Center for Justice and Accountability, brought a federal suit in
2005 on behalf of three woman who say they were his victims and now live in the
United States. They claim that members of FRAPH engaged in a “systematic
campaign of violence against women,” beating and raping them. The details
of Constant’s suspicious transaction were revealed in this
lawsuit.
As someone who has worked undercover for the U.S., Constant was
so sure of his impunity that he didn’t even hire a lawyer to defend
himself in the suit.
Feeney told the Associated Press, “We’re
thrilled that he’s in custody, and we’re also concerned he’s a
flight risk.”
Radio Metropole, the radio station in Haiti where
most people get their news, featured the story of Constant’s arrest and
release.
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