The Director of the Social Assistance Fund (CAS), Edwin Tonton was arrested on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, following her hearing by the investigating judge, Mr. Jean Wilner Morin. “The investigating magistrate has found sufficient evidence of the involvement of Ms. Tonton in the misappropriation of funds of the institution,” according to a source close to the case.
During a first hearing on April 19, the judge had considered arresting the DG of the CAS, but changed his mind because of a tense situation caused, according to some information, by relatives of the interested party who were using gunpowder in the area precisely to prevent the arrest of Mrs. Tonton who, on April 3, had been banned from leaving the country. Two other personalities, the ex-chief accountant of the CAS, Pierre Richard Vales, arrested on Tuesday, April 18, was hit by the same measure as well as Yvrose Alcide, a member of the director’s cabinet.
In a report recently made public by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), it was recommended that public action be taken against Pierre Richard VALES, former chief accountant of CAS, for misappropriation of public property, illegal taking of interest and complicity in forgery, and against Hector Dominique BERNARDIN for complicity in misappropriation of public property and forgery. The ULCC had also called for proceedings against Edwine TONTON, Director of the CAS and Yverose ALCIDE, a member of her cabinet for influence peddling, in accordance with the law of March 12, 2014 on the prevention and repression of corruption.
This case was going to be assigned to the investigating judge Jean Wilner Morin on March 22, 2023.
Other people could be arrested soon in this case, according to a judicial source.
Editor: Enock Arismat