Haiti’s Court of Appeal has ordered clergy from the Episcopal Church and former officials to stand trial in a 2022 arms trafficking case, reversing an earlier ruling that found insufficient evidence. On July 14, 2022, police found weapons, ammunition and fake cash in containers belonging to the Episcopal Church of Haiti at Port-au-Prince customs. An initial 2023 ruling found insufficient evidence against the Church. The case, however, was reopened in 2025, leading to a reversal despite the institution’s continued denials—claiming it’s the victim of a criminal network exploiting its name.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s Court of Appeal has ordered several clergy members of the Episcopal Church of Haiti, along with former senior government officials, to stand trial in a high-profile arms and ammunition trafficking case dating back to 2022.
The decision, issued April 28, reopens one of the country’s most closely watched cases, nearly four years after police seized a cache of weapons from a shipment linked to the Church.
Among those referred to criminal court are priests Frantz Cole, Jean Madoché Vil and Fritz Désiré, as well as Jean Marie Gilles, Mamion Saint-Germain and pastor Dieuné Day. Former public officials, including ex-Minister of Economy Michel Patrick Boisvert and former religious affairs official Evens Souffrant, are also named in the proceedings.
Prosecutors accuse the defendants of complicity in the illegal importation and trafficking of firearms and ammunition, as well as related charges including smuggling and counterfeiting.
After unloading the containers, their illegal contents were hidden in schools around Port-au-Prince during the day.
