CLAUDE JOSEPH, who was Haiti’s acting prime minister when president Jovenel Moise was gunned down in July 2021, was grilled on Wednesday as judges investigating the killing questioned suspects.

It was the first time Mr Joseph has testified since lawyers for some suspects successfully appealed a court ruling that there was sufficient evidence to hold a trial.

Mr Joseph and president Moise’s widow, Martine Moise, were indicted last year after a judge accused them of complicity and criminal association. 

Both have denied the accusations.

Mr Joseph on Wednesday called the judge’s report that indicted him “political, unfair and flawed.”

He said it was a tactic used to “neutralise” him because he organised demonstrations across Haiti against Ariel Henry, whom Mr Joseph said was illegally sworn in as prime minister less than two weeks after the president was killed.

At the time of his killing, president Moise had only nominated Mr Henry as prime minister.

Mr Joseph noted that he didn’t make a grab for power after the assassination.

“I said that everything was under the control of the national police and the Haitian armed forces. Not under the control of the acting prime minister that I was then,” he said.

Judge Emmanuel Lacroix grilled Mr Joseph for several hours on Wednesday, repeatedly asking how it was possible he did not know about the plot as prime minister, since that position officially presides over Haiti’s National Police High Council.

“Like the victimised president, I was unaware of the plot,” said Mr Joseph. 

Mr Joseph also denied knowing key suspects Haitian-Americans James Solages and Christian Emmanuel Sanon. Both are awaiting trial in a US federal court, where Martine Moise is expected to testify.

Judges in Haiti have called on Ms Moise to fly to the country and also testify, but she isn’t expected to oblige.