A NEW leader has been sworn in for Haiti’s transitional presidential council as it grapples with serious corruption allegations against three of its members.

Leslie Voltaire replaced Edgard Leblanc Fils in the rotating presidency of the council, at the behest of the United States, after targeted gang attacks forced Haiti’s former prime minister to resign.

The United States provides most of the funding for the Kenyan-led military intervention in Haiti.

In a brief speech, Mr Voltaire pledged transparency and noted that much work remains to be done in a country in the grip of rampant gang violence.

“We are not satisfied with the security situation,” he said. “We are working to re-establish security throughout the whole country.”

The transitional presidential council works alongside new Prime Minister Garry Conille and is responsible for helping run the country and organising general elections by February 2026.

Mr Voltaire took over the council less than a week after an anti-corruption agency accused three of its members — Smith Augustin, Emmanuel Vertilaire and Louis Gerald Gilles — of demanding more than $750,000 (£573,000) from the director of the government-owned National Bank of Credit to secure his job.

The accused have denied the allegations.

All three were present during Monday's swearing-in and declined to comment afterward.

The council has acknowledged the agency’s accusatory report and said it would immediately take all measures to guarantee the stability of the state. 

It also signed a resolution modifying the rotating presidency, which Mr Leblanc, the council's former president, rejected, saying the corruption allegations had not been resolved.

Le Nouvelliste newspaper reported that Mr Augustin was supposed to succeed Mr Leblanc but was removed from the rotating presidency, as was Mr Gilles.

Both have both made it clear that they have no intention of stepping down from the council.