478: Three judges to head murder enquiry (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 23 (AP) -- Three investigating judges
have been named to continue the investigation of the murder
of Haiti's most prominent journalist, almost three weeks
after their predecessor fled to the United States fearing
assassination.
   Central to the controversy is the suspicion surrounding
the chief suspect identified by outgoing Judge Claudy
Gassant. He is Sen. Dany Toussaint, a former chief of police
considered close to President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
   Aristide has appointed Judges Josue Agnant, Bernard
Sainvil, and Sinclair Joachim to carry on the investigation,
Jean-Claude Desgranges, who heads Aristide's private Cabinet,
announced Wednesday.
   Dominique once was an Aristide confidante and supporter.
He was shot at the radio station he owned in April 2000 as
his broadcast criticisms of Aristide became strident and
after he announced on the air that Toussaint was threatening
to kill him.
   Six suspects have been detained, but no one has been
indicted.
   Journalists have come under increasing attack in Haiti in
recent months, especially after an alleged December coup
attempt that many of them accused Aristide's government of
engineering to deflect criticism of its inability to resolve
the Caribbean country's political and poverty crises.